High-voltage public campaign for Puthuppally bypoll in Kerala ends today

Chennai, Sep 3

The high-voltage public campaign for the Puthuppally by-election necessitated by the passing away of former Chief Minister and senior leader of Congress party, Oomen Chandy, will end on Sunday.

Oomen Chandy’s son and Youth Congress outreach cell national coordinator, Chandy Oomen is contesting as the Congress candidate and opposed by the CPI(M) young leader, Jaik C. Thomas. The BJP is also contesting the polls with the party Kottayam district president, Lijin Lal as its candidate.

Senior leaders from all the major political parties campaigned at Puthuppally for the past three weeks since the election was declared by the Election Commission of India.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan campaigned for three days at the constituency for the Left front candidate and CPI(M) state committee member, Jaik C. Thomas.

Senior Congress leaders, A.K. Antony, Shashi Tharoor, Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan and former state home minister Ramesh Chennithala campaigned for the UDF candidate, Chandy Oomen.

BJP leaders, Radha Mohan Aggarwal, V. Muraleedharan and other senior leaders also participated in the campaign for the party candidate, Lijin Lal.

The election campaign will come to an end at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The election for the Puthuppally by-election is to be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The counting of votes will take place on September 8.

Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, Oomen Chandy had represented the constituency for a record 53 years.