Puthuppally bypoll: Historic win for UDF, Chandy Oommen; LDF stumbles, BJP puts up a poor show

Kottayam: Following the footsteps of his late father, UDF candidate Chandy Oommen (Congress) secured his maiden ticket to the Kerala Assembly by winning the byelection held in Puthuppally constituency with a whopping majority of 37719 votes on Friday. 

On Friday afternoon, the UDF received 78,098 votes, while LDF candidate Jaick C. Thomas finished in second with 41,644 votes. Meanwhile, the BJP received 6447 votes.

Chandy Oommen also scripted history by surpassing the lead of 33,255 received by his late father and former CM cum Puthuppally MLA Oommen Chandy during the 2011 Kerala assembly polls. 

The celebrations had already begun in the UDF camp on Friday morning, with the early signs showing a clear majority to Chandy Oommen. 

The bypoll is being seen as politically significant as the Congress aims to retain its traditional stronghold, while the ruling CPM wants to make new inroads by clinching it, as the poll comes a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The voting for the seat, left vacant by the demise of Oommen Chandy, was held on September 5.