Oommen Chandy dies at 79: 5 points about two-time Kerala CM

“Appa has passed away,” his son Chandy Oommen posted on Facebook.

Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy died in Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday, his son announced in a social media post.

Oommen Chandy had been staying in Bengaluru for treatment at a health facility.

The 79-year-old had been staying in Bengaluru for treatment at a health facility. "Appa has passed away", his son Chandy Oommen posted on Facebook.

Chandy, who is suffering from cancer, was previously treated in Germany. A controversy had erupted then when his brother and several relatives sought the intervention of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to provide the best treatment to his predecessor. They alleged that his treatment was getting delayed and close family members were not allowed to meet him. However, Chandy refuted the reports in the media and added that “he was content” with the checkup.

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5 points about Oommen Chandy:

1. The senior Congress leader served as the Kerala CM twice - from 2004-06 and 2011-16.
2. Oommen Chandy began his stint as a legislator by winning in the 1970 state assembly polls at the age of 27. He was the state president of the Youth Congress then and later went on to win 11 consecutive elections.
3. Chandy has represented only his home constituency Puthuppally in the past five decades. In August 2022, he became the longest serving member of the state assembly by representing Puthupally, in the House for 18,728 days. He surpassed the record of former Kerala Congress (M) supremo late K M Mani.
4. The Congress veteran has served as the Leader of Opposition and a minister in various cabinets for four times during his six decade-long political career.
5. In 2022 December, Chandy received a clean chit from the CBI in the sexual exploitation allegation levelled by Saritha Nair - the prime accused in the solar scam case that had rocked Kerala when his government was in power nearly a decade ago.