‘End of an era, mass leader who lived among people’: Kerala politicians across party lines pay homage to Congress doyen Oommen Chandy

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Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy passed away on Tuesday at 79. He served as the state chief minister from 2011 to 2016, and from 2004 to 2006. (Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)

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Chandy greets the then Gujarat CM Modi and Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi Kerala at the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi in January 2014. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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An all-party delegation from Kerala, headed by Oommen Chandy meet the then PM Manmohan Singh in 2012 over the Mullaperiyar Dam at the Parliament. (Express Archive)

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Oommen Chandy, then Chief Minister of Kerala, during 'Emerging Kerala 2012' business meeting in Mumbai. (Express Archive)

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Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala, PK Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries & IT, R.K.M Mani, Miinster for Finance, Housing & Law, during “Emerging Kerala 2012” business meeting. (Express Archive)

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Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at the PM office in new Delhi in July 2014.(Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy during a meeting in New Delhi in 2014. (Express Archive)

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Chandy at the panel discussion on 'Kerala's growth and equity -Way forward' in New Delhi, 2014. (Express photo by Anil Sharma)

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Then Kerala CM Oommen Chandy appears before Solar inquiry commission in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016 (PTI Photo/Archive)

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Oommen Chandy in January 2016, refused to undergo a lie-detector test while deposing before a judicial commission probing charges in the “solar scam” allegedly linked to his staff. (Express Archive)

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Different political wings of SUCI during a protest rally against the rape and murder of law student in Kerala, later they burn effigy of CM of Kerala Oommen Chandy in Kolkata on May 09, 2016. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

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Chandy was present during the induction of Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to the Congress party in 2018. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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Congress leaders Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and Mullapally Ramachandran after the poll results, in Thiruvananthapuram in 2020. (Express Archive)

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The Kerala government declared two-day state mourning and a public holiday on Tuesday on account of former CM Chandy's demise.

Vijayan recalled that he and Chandy became MLAs for the first time on the same day in 1970. “In the later years, when I was engaged in political activities outside the Assembly, Chandy continued as a legislator. While many Congress leaders like K Karunakaran and A K Antony had gone to the Parliament, Chandy remained in state politics. That showed his kinship with people. He is a model for the younger generation in politics,” said Vijayan.

Calling Chandy a “pillar” of the Congress party, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the party would miss “his wise counsel”.

Deepest condolences to the family of Shri. Oommen Chandy. He was a pillar of the Congress party, a leader who dedicated his life to service and was deeply committed to the values we are fighting for today.

We will all remember him with great respect and miss his wise counsel.

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 18, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to the Congress leader and wrote, “We have lost a humble and dedicated leader who devoted his life to public service and worked towards the progress of Kerala.”

In the passing away of Shri Oommen Chandy Ji, we have lost a humble and dedicated leader who devoted his life to public service and worked towards the progress of Kerala. I recall my various interactions with him, particularly when we both served as Chief Ministers of our… pic.twitter.com/S6rd22T24j

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 18, 2023

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said Chandy, who had been undergoing cancer treatment for the last few years, marked the Congress politics in Kerala over the previous five decades. Govindan added that he left behind his footprints in state politics as a Congress leader and administrator.

In his Facebook post, Congress state president K Sudhakaran said the death of Chandy marked the “end of a king who conquered the world with love”. “He always remained close to the people. He was a wonder in state politics,” said Sudhakaran.

Senior Congress MLA and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said Chandy was a last resort for people from Kerala in any corner of the world. For Chandy, power was meant to get closer to the people. He was connected to the people and their lives.

BJP state president K Surendran recalled that Chandy contributed immensely to the state’s development. “He was a mass leader who lived among the people for the last six decades. He intervened in people’s issues irrespective of their politics,” said Surendran.

The mortal remains of the Chandy are at the residence of former minister T John. They were to be flown to Thiruvananthapuram and kept on display at the Congress state committee office and the durbar hall of the secretariat for the public to pay their last respects.

Congress leader K C Venugopal, RSP’s N K Premachandran, Muslim League’s P K Kunhalikutty and Forward Bloc’s D Devarajan reached John’s residence on Tuesday, along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and paid their last respects to Chandy.

ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ @kharge,ಸಿಪಿಪಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾದ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ @SoniaGandhi_ಮತ್ತು ಶ್ರೀ @RahulGandhi ಅವರು ಕೇರಳದ ಹಿರಿಯ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ನಾಯಕ,ಮಾಜಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಮಂತ್ರಿ ಉಮ್ಮನ್ ಚಾಂಡಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಶ್ರಧ್ದಾಂಜಲಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದರು. pic.twitter.com/43jQZBKEj3

— Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress (@KarnatakaPMC) July 18, 2023

The Kerala government declared two-day state mourning and a public holiday Tuesday. His funeral will be held in his hometown, Puthuppally in Kottayam, on Thursday.