Bypolls: Oommen Chandy's name still in Puthuppally voter list

As polling for the Puthuppally assembly seat commenced on Tuesday, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy -- whose death necessitated the bypoll -- still figured among the list of over 1.76 lakh voters in the constituency.

Chandy's name figured at serial 647 in the voters list at the Georgian Public School (CBSE) polling booth in Puthuppally (North Portion) in Kottayam.

Election analysts were of the view that the short span within which the bypoll was announced and polling was held, after the demise of the Congress stalwart, did not give the Election Commission enough time to remove the former Kerala CM's name from the electoral roll.

However, his name was crossed out manually in the physical list at the polling station, sources said.

Meanwhile, allegations and counter claims continued on polling day as well, with Chandy's son -- Chandy Oommen -- claiming that his father and their family had been hounded for over 20 years.

Referring to the allegations regarding the former CM's medical treatment, Oommen said that he had ensured that the best possible care was provided to his father and had also taken him to the United States for the same.

Oommen, who is the United Democratic Front candidate in the Puthuppally bypoll, said that these details find mention in his father's diary.

Left Democratic Front candidate and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leader Jaick C Thomas, on the other hand, alleged there was no development in the constituency that was held by the Congress for 53 years straight.

He also claimed that the UDF avoided a debate on the issue of development in Puthuppally.