Puthuppally Bypoll: Voting Underway In Kerala Constituency Held By Former Chief Minister Oomen Chandy For Over 50 Years

Voting is underway in Puthuppally, the constituency that was held by former chief minister Oomen Chandy of the Congress for around 50 years, before he passed away in July.

According to a report by Onmanorama, the voter turnout at 11 AM was 30 per cent. There are 1.75 lakh voters in the constituency.

While the Congress has fielded Chandy Oomen, the son of Oomen Chandy, the CPI(M) has fielded Jaick C Thomas, who has previously contested against Oomen Chandy.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded G Lijin Lal, its Kottayam district president.

The constituency witnessed intense campaigning in the lead-up to the bypoll, with several ministers in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressing multiple rallies and public meetings.

While the Congress is banking on Oomen Chandy's legacy, the CPI(M) has been using the plank of 'development' to win the constituency. The Left has a significant presence as it controls a number of local bodies in the area.

The BJP has highlighted the point that while the Left and the Congress are against each other in Kerala, they are alliance partners at the national level. It has urged people to vote for the party citing the development works under the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Another factor that could play out is a division in the Christian votes. While Chandy Oomen is from the Orthodox Church, Thomas belongs to the Jacobite Church.

Thomas had reduced Chandy's victory margin from 27092 in 2016 to 9044 in 2021.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, while Oomen Chandy secured 48.08 per cent of the votes, and Jaick C Thomas secured 41.22 per cent. The BJP candidate N Hari finished third, receiving 8.87 per cent.

The counting of votes is scheduled for 8 September.