Puthuppally bypoll: Photo of log bridge puts Left, Right loyalists at loggerheads; here's the truth

Kottayam: Ever since the Puthuppally bypoll date was announced, campaigns have been happening in full swing. Discussions on development and candidates have taken center stage. Amidst the election mayhem, a picture of the late Oommen Chandy walking across a wooden log bridge has been doing rounds on social media.

Assuming that the bridge was situated in Puthuppally, several people criticised the authorities for the lack of development in the region. Prominent personalities including Muralee Thummarukudy, an international expert in disaster response, had expressed disappointment over the shoddy state of affairs in Puthuppally. 

But now it has come to light that the ‘viral bridge’ is actually situated in Thiruvarppu panchayat, which comes under the Ettumanoor constituency represented by Minister VN Vasavan. 

The true story behind the viral wooden log bridge came out yesterday when youth congress leader Rahul Mamkootathil shared a video standing on the bridge.     

The photographer who captured the viral image of former CM Oommen Chandy crossing the bridge shared his experience with Mathrubhumi News. “I had taken the photograph years ago on a Sunday, November 27, 2016. Oommen Chandy had arrived at Thiruvarppu to attend a marriage. It is then that the veteran Congress leader crossed the wood log bridge; I have multiple images of Chandy’s act. The kind leader, on a lighter note, had even asked me whether I intended to capture him falling into the water!” recollected the photographer.