Puthuppally is in election fervour as the heat of the byelection burns brighter than the scorching sun. The  battle lines have been drawn and the candidates sweat it out day and night, their faces adorning every spare wall, post and hoarding. The major political parties of India have nominated three young and dynamic men to prove their mettle in this battle of ideologies and power.

This is a historic moment for the Puthuppally consistuency as it is witnessing an election without Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy for the first time in 54 years. Chandy Oommen, Jaick C Thomas and Ligin Lal from UDF, LDF and NDA respectively are at the forefront along with a few independent candidates and AAP's Luke Thomas.

The expectations of the voters are at an all time high. While some continue to be influenced by the omnipresent looming influence of the late  Oommen Chandy, some remain divided in their assessment of the stalwart's long 54 years in office. The three 30 something candidates are in a race against time and each other to secure their vote banks with the polling date being a mere two weeks away.

Mathrubhumi.com spoke to the candidates who expressed their dreams, hopes and allegations. The public are cautious in their response. They are keeping their cards close to their chest.  'No matter who wins, the constituency and its people should be their priority. People revere Oommen Chandy but the fact remains that the constituency has miles to go in terms of development,'' a native of Manarcad said.

Jaick C Thomas filed the nomination first on  last Wednesday, followed by Chandy Oommen and Ligin Lal on Thursday. The supporters accompanying the candidates left no stone unturned in showing their might. However, noticeably, the NDA was the only one among the parties, with the exception of AAP that showcased a relatively mellow gathering.

Although BJP enjoys clout in some parts in the constituency, many people are of the view that it might not be able to secure a strong vote bank due to the candidate being a Kadathuruthy native who is relatively unknown to them. When it comes to Jaick, he holds a strong image of being a party worker very much involved in the activities of the constituency. 'Even if he does not win, we can still approach Jaick with our problems and he always helps those in need. He has been doing that for years here while Chandy Oommen was nowhere to be seen', an old lottery seller in Njaliyakuzhy asserted.

Jaick disregarded factors like faith and sympathy and was confident that the voters will favour those that can bring about development. 'When someone comes to me for help, I will not ask their religion or creed before helping them. Our party believes in seeing everyone equally', he responded when asked if the current controversy surrounding faith would affect the election results.

Chandy Oommen  is not taking any risks in spite of the confidence displayed by Congress and the UDF. He knows the gravity of this election and the consequences it carries for both himself and the party. Rest seems to be a word that has disappeared from his dictionary for the time being.  Even with the physical absence of Oommen Chandy, his persona seems to loom over the UDF's campaign and people see Chandy Oommen as someone who can take his father's good deeds forward. 'Development does not just mean roads. No one can deny that no work has happened in all these years. This constituency has education options from pre-primary to post graduation studies. We have various institutions like the spinning factory that gives livelihood to many people. You cannot erase the truth with propaganda', he asserts the legacy of his late father.

A Manarcad church frequenter opined, 'We stand with Chandy Oommen not just because of his father but because we believe in his capabilities. The Pinarayi-led government has been making a fool of us by dangling the church-bill before the Jacobite believers. We no longer trust that a positive decision regarding the same will come from his side and thus are united in our support for Chandy Oommen.'

Ligin Lal spoke about how there have been no notable developments in the constituency and how the BJP is a party that has brought about positive changes in the panchayats they hold. He defined his leadership style as one that will resonate with the Central and state BJP leaders and is confident of a favourable response from the public.

The three young men represent three ideologies but share a unanimous dream of development for the constituency. Who the public's favour will fall upon will only be apparent on September 8. Though faith and sympathy cannot be completely disregarded, development and progress seem to hold the key to Puthuppally's mind.