Puthuppally bypoll: Former close aide of Chandy denies contesting against son

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 10 (IANS)  Former close aide of Late Oommen Chandy, Nibu John has denied that he might be the LDF candidate for the Puthuppally bypoll in Kerala.

For a few hours late on Wednesday evening, it was anxious moments for the camp of Oommen Chandy working to ensure a clean victory for his son, Chandy Oommen, when news surfaced that the CPI(M) has zeroed on a very close aide of the Late Chandy.

The name of Nibu John, often known as the 'Man Friday' of Chandy for the past two decades, was the surprise name that was flashed in the vernacular TV channels here.

John is an elected member from the Congress party to the Kottayam district panchayat.

Soon it was a rush to get in touch with John, but by then he was unable to be spotted at his house, Congress party offices or even on his mobile.

But on Thursday morning, John clarified that the news was baseless.

Though State Cooperation Minister and top CPI(M) leader hailing from Kottayam -- V.N. Vasavan, who initially said a surprise can be expected, has now backed out and denied ever searching for their candidate from the Congress camp.

Ever since the date of the Puthuppally Assembly by-election was announced on Tuesday evening, the Congress quickly cleared the name of Chandy Oommen.

The CPI(M) in the past sprang a surprise on two occasions when it brought in Chandy’s long time close party aide, Cherian Phillip in 2001.  Phillip had left the Congress owing to difference of opinion in not being given a safe seat to contest. The CPI(M) took over him and fielded him, but he lost.

In 2006, while Chandy was the sitting Chief Minister, a then top student leader of the CPI(M), Sindhu Joy was roughed up by the police while taking part in an agitation and she  became the surprise candidate of the CPI(M). However, she also lost and Chandy won easily.

The CPI(M) is busy to locate its candidate. The party's top leaders have claimed that people will vote for development as Chandy, though being a legislator for the past 53 years, failed to bring development to the constituency.

One new name that has started taking the round is former Lok Sabha and two-time legislator, Suresh Kurup, who bucked the trend of sympathy factor in 1984 when Lok Sabha elections were held after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. He was the only CPI(M) candidate to win from the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The CPI(M) is expected to announce their candidate on Friday or Saturday.