Mariamma Oommen, wife of former Chief Minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy, will foray into active politics by attending the election campaign for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kottayam on Tuesday.
Joined by her daughters Maria Oommen and Achu Oommen, Ms. Oommen will play an active role in rallying support for UDF candidates in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She is set to hit the campaign trail with an election convention for UDF candidate for Kottayam constituency, K. Francis George, in Puthuppally on Tuesday.
She also plans to participate in an electoral event in Kulanada, located within the Pathanamthitta parliamentary constituency, where Anil Antony, son of A.K. Antony, is contesting for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Ms. Oommen disclosed her decision via Oommen Chandy’s Facebook page on Monday, stating, “This election marks the first general election without the presence of Oommen Chandy. His unwavering commitment to the UDF till his final days remains etched in our memories.”
She also underscored the need to stand firm against communal-corporate dominance at the national level and anti-people policies in Kerala. “Every family, especially those within the Congress party, must shoulder this responsibility,” she affirmed.
The decision by Ms. Oommen and her daughters to endorse the Congress and the UDF comes amidst widespread speculations that Oommen Chandy’s children might veer towards the BJP, akin to Padmaja Venugopal and Anil Antony, children of former Congress Chief Ministers K. Karunakaran and A.K. Antony respectively.
