Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9 (IANS): Chandy Oommen's name as the Congress candidate from the Puthupally Assembly constituency was a foregone conclusion and as soon as it was announced, he hit the campaign trail by visiting the tomb of his father Oommen Chandy who represented the constituency from 1970 for a record 53 years before he passed away on July 18.

The junior Chandy's name was announced by the party on Tuesday night and soon after he prayed at the tomb and sat for a while inside the famed St George Orthodox Church and then hit the campaign trail.

In between, he paid a quick visit to leading religious places and continued well past midnight.

On Wednesday morning at his ancestral home, there was a buzz of activity with numerous people close to Late Chandy waiting to hit the campaign trail with Chandy Oommen.

Flex boards announcing Chandy Oommen's name have already come up at many places in the constituency which Chandy knew like the back of his palm and used to call people by their first names.

“I definitely cannot be an Oommen Chandy and it’s a great challenge to be his successor,” said Chandy Oommen.

The Congress has already constituted office-bearers at the 182 party booths in the Puthupally constituency and have entrusted the overall supervision to Chandy’s closest aides -- senior party legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and former State Minister K.C.Joseph to lead from the front.

Dismissing the way the Left have started speaking of dynasty politics, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said if Oommen was not the son of Chandy, maybe he would have got a seat before itself.

“The election will discuss on how Chandy was hunted and haunted by the Left in the solar scam and it will be a referendum on Pinarayi Vijayan’s governance,” said Satheesan.

On who will be Oommen’s opposing candidate from the Left, one will have to wait till Friday.