Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Meet the candidate: From bicycle to black dress, Chandy Oommen makes his campaign a different one

Chandy even avoided banners and posters for campaigns as he is quite confident that he is familiar to the people with his works as an MLA.

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA Chandy Oommen, who is the son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has been moving around in his constituency Puthuppally in Kottayam mostly in a bicycle for election campaign.

Chandy even avoided banners and posters for election campaigns as he is quite confident that he is familiar to the people with his works as an MLA and hence reduced the election expenses by avoiding posters.

On April 7, the World Health Day, Chandy was in black dress to highlight the lapses in the state public health sector during the last ten years of Left Democratic Front rule in the state.

Congress top leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi who came down to Puthuppally for election campaign also took a bicycle ride along the Chandy to be part of his green campaign.

Rahul Gandhi takes a bicycle ride along Chandy Oommen to be part of his green campaign.

The 40-year-old entered electoral politics following the death of Oommen Chandy in 2023. In the byelection Chandy secured a thumping victory with a margin of 37,719 votes. Oommen Chandy, who was a very popular mass leader, represented Puthuppally for 53 years in a row from 1970, until his death. Now his son is also trying to follow his father's line of mass connect.

A lawyer by profession, Chandy used to practice in the Supreme Court before entering electoral politics. He was also actively involved in politics as a student and also held various positions like chairman of the national outreach cell of the Youth Congress. 

During the candidate selection for this election, the Congress was learnt to be considering his sister Maria Oommen too as a candidate. But Chandy openly said that it was his father's wish that only one member from the family should be into electoral politics.

Maria is actively involved in the campaign for Congress and is drawing much attention.