31 Facts About Oommen Chandy

Oommen Chandy was an Indian lawyer and statesman who served as the 10th chief minister of Kerala, serving from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016.

Oommen Chandy served as the leader of the opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.

Oommen Chandy represented Puthuppally constituency as a member of the Legislative Assembly in the State Assembly from 1970 until his death in 2023, making him the longest-serving member of the Kerala Legislature Assembly.

Oommen Chandy received an award for public service from the United Nations in 2013.

Oommen Chandy was a Congress Working Committee member at the time of his death.

Oommen Chandy was born on 31 October 1943 in Kumarakom, Kottayam district, as the son of Baby and K O Chandy of the Karottu Vallakkalil house.

Oommen Chandy was named after his paternal grandfather, V J Oommen, a member of the Travancore Legislative Council.

Oommen Chandy was the unit president of the KSU at St George High School, Puthupally, and went on to become the state president of the organization.

Oommen Chandy started his political career through the Kerala Students Union, in which he served as president from 1967 to 1969.

Oommen Chandy was elected as the president of the State Youth Congress in 1970.

Oommen Chandy represented the Puthuppally constituency for five decades, having been elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970,1977,1980,1982,1987,1991,1996,2001,2006,2011,2016, and 2021.

Oommen Chandy was a minister in the Government of Kerala on four occasions.

Oommen Chandy was in the charge of Home Portfolio in the second K Karunakaran ministry from 28 December 1981 to 17 March 1982.

Oommen Chandy was sworn in again as a minister in the fourth K Karunakaran ministry on 2 July 1991.

Oommen Chandy was in charge of the Finance Portfolio and resigned from the cabinet on 22 June 1994 as a protest against Karunakaran's denial of a Rajya Sabha ticket to a factional leader.

On 30 August 2004, Oommen Chandy was elected as the Congress Legislature Party leader at the end of a meeting by AICC observers and clearance by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

Oommen Chandy resigned as chief minister on 12 May 2006 following the defeat of his party in 2006 Assembly Elections.

UDF, led by Oommen Chandy, secured a slender margin of majority in the assembly election held on 13 April 2011 by winning 72 seats against the 68 seats of the LDF.

Oommen Chandy took the oath on 18 May 2011 with six other ministers of his cabinet.

Oommen Chandy was the leader of opposition in the twelfth Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Oommen Chandy first took charge as chief minister on 31 August 2004 and adopted the motto Athivegam Bahudooram.

Oommen Chandy attended the 35th World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland, in 2006.

Oommen Chandy received the United Nation's Public Service Award for his Mass Contact Programme, for hearing and solving the complaints of citizens.

The Government of Kerala approved the project and allocated funds on 17 January 2005, Oommen Chandy inaugurated the first phase of the project between Kasaragod and Palakkad at a function held in Payyavoor.

The Second Oommen Chandy ministry adopted the motto Vikasanavum Karuthalum.

Oommen Chandy's regime was instrumental in beginning the construction of several massive infrastructure projects as well as some human-welfare schemes in Kerala which included the Kannur International Airport in Kannur, the Kochi Metro at Kochi, the Vizhinjam International Seaport at Thiruvananthapuram, and the Smart City project.

Oommen Chandy's administration made the decision to build at least one government medical college in each district without one, to ensure the presence of the public medical college in all 14 districts of Kerala, which was instrumental in the public health infrastructure of the state.

The second Oommen Chandy ministry had made the decision to prohibit liqueur in the state by discouraging bars.

The report filed by VACB said that Oommen Chandy was not aware of the details of the decision to import palmolein through a Singapore-based firm.

Oommen Chandy commenced immunotherapy treatment at HCG Cancer Centre in Bengaluru in December 2022.

In honor of his dedicated public service, Oommen Chandy was laid to rest in a specially constructed tomb within the exclusive burial ground reserved for the Orthodox Church's clergy.