In a first, Mariamma Oommen, the wife of former Chief Minister and late Congress leader Oommen Chandy, is set to campaign for UDF candidates in Lok Sabha elections. Along with Mariamma Oommen, her daughters Maria and Achu are also likely to campaign for the UDF at certain places. 



Taking to Facebook, Mariamma said, "For the first time in my life, I am also going out for campaigning without considering illness. Maria Oommen and Achu Oommen will be actively involved in campaigning activities."


 



"I know that none of that will replace Oommen Chandy. I inform you that I will stand with Rahul Gandhi and work with each and every one of you to protect the secularism, democracy and our constitution in this country," she said.



Mariamma's choice to back the Congress and the UDF has come at a time of BJP's vigorous campaign insinuating that Oommen Chandy's children will take the paths of Padmaja Venugopal and Anil Antony, children of former Congress chief ministers K Karunakaran and A K Antony, who recently joined the BJP.


Chandy, a former two-time Chief Minister, passed away last July after etching himself into the record books as the longest-serving legislator in Kerala. He represented the Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kottayam District from 1970 until his passing.


Talking to IANS, Chandy Oommen said, “For the first time, my mother will be campaigning for our party candidates. She did not campaign for me as she was in mourning at that time.” 















Further, Chandy Oommen dismissed rumors of joining the BJP, stating, "Lots of canards are being spread about us joining the BJP. We fail to understand why such rumors are being circulated."





 












Chandy stated that he had campaigned for the Congress' incumbent Lok Sabha member, Anto Antony, in Pathanamthitta. This came after rumors circulated that the Chandy family would refrain from campaigning against Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader and former Defence Minister AK Antony, who is a BJP candidate.


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