Chandy's son will be Cong candidate in Puthuppally

Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Hours after speculation began on who would replace late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy as the party candidate from the Puthuppally constituency he represented for 53 years, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday said it would be someone from the veteran leader's family.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and MP, Sudhakaran said that unofficially discussions have begun on who should be the candidate and officially it would start a couple of days later.

However, there was no doubt that it would be someone from Chandy's family, he said while speaking to reporters in Kochi.

At the same time, the KPCC chief also said that the decision on who it should be would be decided by the family and not the party. Sudhakaran also said that if the ruling LDF in Kerala has any respect for Chandy, who died in Bengaluru on July 18, they should refrain from contesting for the Puthuppally constituency seat.

"We (Congress) do not need to make such a request. They (LDF) should do it on their own if they have any respect for Oommen Chandy," he said.

The contention or demand by the KPCC chief was rejected by LDF convener E P Jayaran who told media that the Congress has never taken such a stand in the past.

Jayarajan also said that elections were not about individuals, they were a political norm and therefore, he was rejecting the demand of the KPCC chief. Sudhakaran also disapproved of Congress leader Cherian Philip's social media post primarily pushing for Chandy's son -- Chandy Oommen -- to be the "heir" to the position vacated by the late Congress leader.

"That was not correct on his (Philip) part. I have spoken to him about it and told him so," the KPCC chief said. (PTI)