The Gracious Voice Oommen Chandy celebrates his 74th Birthday - Life, Birth and political career as a Congress man

Oommen Chandy was awarded the United Nations Public Service Award in 2013 for "Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service" in the Asia-Pacific region. He received the award in Bahrain from Wu Hongbo, then UN Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs.

Life and Birth of Sri Oommen Chandy

Oommen Chandy was born on 31st of October in the year 1945 in the well known tourist destination of Kumarakom in Kottayam district of Kerala. His father was Puthupally Karottu Vallakkalil K.O. Chandy and Mother Baby Chandy. He studied in the St George High School in Puthupally. while studying in school itself he became the president of the balajana Sakhyam in the year 1961. That was the first step or his entry in to the politics. In between he did graduation at SB College Changanassery and then law at Government Law College at Ernakulam.

Political career of Oommen Chandy as a Congress man

He became the State General Secretary of the Kerala Student's Union in the year 1965 and went on to become the president in the year 1967.

Kerala student's union was the student wing of the Indian national congress. From that young age itself he was pulled in by the policies and the working of the Indian National Congress. From the Kerala Student's Union he joined the Youth Congress in the year 1969 and became the state president of Youth Congress Kerala.

Marriage and family of Oommen Chandy

In the mean time he got married to Mariamma and had three children, two daughters named, Maria and Achu and a son named Chandy Oommen. The Daughter Maria got married to Sri Rikki Mathew and Achu got married to Leejo Philip. Both the Sons in law are business men and are men of good repute.

College and the political life of Oommen Chandy

Oommen Chandy studied in CMS college in Kottayam, then SB College in Changanassery and then went on to do law at Government Law college at Ernakulam. His actual entry in to the mainstream of the Congress when he served in the Youth Congress as a president at the state level.

At the National level he served as a party member of the All India Congress committee and was also associated with many trade unions affiliated with INTUC, Indian National Trade Union Congress. He is well known for the movements in which he had participated for the causes of the common man.

Oommen Chandy and the Kerala Assembly

He was elected to the Kerala Assembly in 1970 for the first time from Puthupally constituency. He has an impeccable record of winning 9 times continuously from the same constituency. That itself proves the fact that he is a popular and an accepted personality in his constituency.

Oommen Chandy had done graduation in Law from the government law college at Ernakulam. He knows Malayalam, Hindi and English and has travelled many places all over the world namely USA, USSR, UK, Germany, Rome, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Kuwait, UAE, Canada, Doha, Bahrain, and Maldives.

Oommen Chandy is a man of exemplary conduct. His simple and immaculate lifestyle have earned him a good name in Politics as well as an unique position in the minds of Keralaites all over.

Oommen Chandy is a politician of Kerala state in India and a member of the Indian National Congress (INC). He has been representing the Puthuppally constituency of Travancore district since past few decades. Currently, he is the leader of the opposition party in Kerala. He was the 19th Chief Minister of Kerala and was in power from 2004 to 2006. Oommen Chandy is also a trade unionist and is the leader of many INTUC unions. He has been elected as the chief minister of Kerala four times. It was under Chandy's leadership that the UDF (United Democractic Front) achieved many victories in Lok Sabha Election 2009 and Local Body Election 2010. This marked as the first time that UDF got a position of control in the local elections. He is fondly known as Kunjooju by his loyal followers.

Oommen Chandy's Early Life and Background

Oommen Chandy's father's name is K.O Chandy and mother's name is Baby Chandy. He hails from a Jewish-Orthodox family. He became active in politics from his school days where he was an activist of Kerala Students Union (KSU). While studying at St George High School, Chandy was the unit president of KSU and further became the State President of KSU. He completed his college graduation from CMS College, Kottayam and SB College, Changanassery. He also has a Bachelors degree in Law (LLB) from Government Law College, Ernakulam. The people of Kerala maintain a high regard of Oommen Chandy because of his simplicity, helpful behaviour and clean track record. His wife's name is Smt Mariamma Oommen who is a retired Canara bank officer. The couple has three children, two daughters Maria and Achu and one son Chandy Oommen. Even through his busy schedule of shouldering the whole state's responsibility, he still manages to spend quality time with his family.

Oommem Chandy's Political life

1. President of All Kerala Balajana Sakhyam in 1961.

2. State General Secretary of KSU in 1965.

3. President of Kerala Students Union (KSU) from 1967 to 1969.

4. President of the State Youth Congress in 1970.

5. Member of Legislative Assembly (1st time) in 1970.

6. Member of Legislative Assembly (2nd time) in 1977. Also took charge as Minister for Labour from 1977 to 1978.

7. Member of Legislative Assembly (3rd time) in 1980. Also took charge as Minister for Home from 1981 to 1982.

8. Member of Legislative Assembly (4th time) in 1982.

9. Member of Legislative Assembly (5th time) in 1987.

10. Member of Legislative Assembly (6th time) in 1991. Also took charge as Minister for Finance from 1991 to 1994.

11. Elected as the Convener for UDF in 1991.

12. Member of Legislative Assembly (7th time) in 1996.

13. Chairman of Public Accounts Committee from 1996 to 1998.

14. Member of Legislative Assembly (8th time) in 2001.

15. Elected as the Convener for UDF in 2001.

16. Elected as the Congress Legislative Party Leader by AICC in 2004.

17. Chief Minister of Kerala from 2004 to 2006.

18. Member of Legislative Assembly (9th time) in 2006. Also took charge as Opposition Leader in 2006.