Crackers burst in Kottayam as its 'son' becomes Labour MP in UK

Thiruvananthapuram, July 5 (IANS) Lights at the home of Sojan Joseph in the sleepy village at Athirampuzha near Kottayam were not switched off on Thursday night as the entire household was anxiously waiting to hear the result from Ashford, one of the constituencies in Kent in the United Kingdom.

Sojan Joseph's father burst into tears and clapped his hands when his son, the Labour Party's candidate, won with a margin of 1,779 votes defeating Damien Green of the Conservative and Unionist party.

“Of course , I am really happy and excited with my son’s victory . We have been waiting to hear this right from the time my son told me he is going to contest the polls,” said his beaming father.

The house was full of Joseph’s relatives and friends and soon came the sounds of crackers being burst.

His brother’s wife said that Joseph and his six siblings and their children are all in the UK.

“He is a nurse in the psychiatry department of the National Health Service. After he finished college in Kottayam, he went to study nursing in Bengaluru. Now for the past 23 years he is working in the NHS. We were expecting that he will win,” said his sister – in –law.

A sister of Joseph said while he was in college here he was never into politics.

“ It was after he reached the UK, that he developed an interest in politics and now his and our dream has come true. Now we are just waiting for him to come to his village,” said the sister.

Joseph is currently a borough councillor representing Aylesford and East Stour ward.