Ex-Kerala CM, Congress leader Oommen Chandy passes away

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/BENGALURU,

SENIOR Congress leader Oommen Chandy, who served as the Chief Minister of Kerala twice, died in Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday, his family said. The death of the former Kerala Chief Minister was announced by his son, Chandy Oommen, who in a Facebook post said, “Appa has passed away.” The 79-year old leader who always stood out in his trademark white cotton shirt and dhoti worn usually with a cordial smile, breathed his last in a private hospital in Bengaluru at 4.25 AM. Chandy was undergoing treatment in Bengaluru for the past few months. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of various States and leaders of political parties expressed their grief and conveyed their condolences on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, top party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi along with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, paid homage to Chandy at former Karnataka Minister late T John’s residence. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who was in Bengaluru to attend the meeting of Opposition parties, was also among the political dignitaries who paid their last respects to Chandy, who was the CM of Kerala twice for a total of seven years (2004 2006 and again from 2011 2016). Thereafter, the mortal remains of Chandy were brought to Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday afternoon where a massive crowd of party leaders, workers and supporters gathered at the airport to pay their last respects.

The remains would be kept at various places including Durbar hall of the State Secretariat, St George Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, the KPCC headquarters and his residence in the State capital for the public to pay their last respects. On Wednesday his body would be transported by road to Chandy’s hometown of Puthuppally in Kottayam district of the State. The funeral would be held there on Thursday. Social media was rife with condolences pouring in from every quarter once news of his death came out.