Oommen Chandy, late Kerala CM still included in Puthuppally voter list

Kottayam: Voting for the Puthuppally assembly seat began on Tuesday. Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, whose passing prompted the election, was still on the list of more than 1.76 lakh voters in the district.

Chandy's name was figured at serial 647 in the voter's list at the Georgian Public School (CBSE) polling booth in Puthuppally (North Portion) here.

Election analysts were of the view that the short span within which the bypoll was announced and polling was held, after the demise of the Congress stalwart, did not give the Election Commission enough time to remove the former Kerala CM's name from the electoral roll.

However, his name was crossed out manually in the physical list at the polling station, sources said.

Meanwhile, allegations and counterclaims continued on polling day as well, with Chandy's son -- Chandy Oommen -- claiming that his father and their family had been hounded for over 20 years.

Referring to the allegations regarding the former CM's medical treatment, Oommen said that he had ensured that the best possible care was provided to his father and had also taken him to the United States for the same.

Oommen, who is the UDF candidate in the Puthuppally bypoll, said that these details are mentioned in his father's diary.

LDF candidate and DYFI leader Jaick C Thomas, on the other hand, alleged there was no development in the constituency that was held by the Congress for 53 years straight.

He also claimed that the UDF avoided a debate on the issue of development in Puthuppally.

With PTI inputs