Published Mar 04, 2026 | 8:37 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 04, 2026 | 8:37 AM
Dr Maria Oommen.
Dr Maria Oommen, the elder daughter of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and sister of Puthuppally MLA Chandy Oommen, has suddenly become one of the most visible faces in public circles. While many leaders remain confined to closed-door discussions, Maria has been actively reaching out to church authorities, temple leaders and the public. Her presence at major events, including Attukal Pongala, has drawn attention.
Although new to electoral politics, she is already known in social service circles through her involvement with the Manna Charitable Trust, which undertakes activities such as distributing food in hospitals, helping bedridden patients and supporting women with sewing machines.
Maria is well known for her work in charity and in the arts, as she is also a singer, but politics is a new territory for her.
In January, when election-related discussions gained momentum, Chandy Oommen had publicly stated that only one person from the Oommen Chandy family would contest the Assembly elections. However, party sources now indicate a change in tone, suggesting that he is quietly backing his sister’s political efforts through indirect and silent campaigning.
Oommen Chandy had three children — Chandy Oommen and two daughters, Maria Oommen and Achu Oommen. Among them, Achu was deeply involved in student politics for around 15 years, but later moved away from family politics after becoming a management professional and settling abroad with her family.
Chandy Oommen himself was active in student politics at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, serving as college union president and later holding key roles in the Youth Congress at both national and state levels. His participation in the Bharat Jodo Yatra helped shape his political image in the mould of his father.
However, internal divisions within the Oommen Chandy family have long been discussed in political circles.
Differences reportedly surfaced even during Oommen Chandy’s treatment, particularly over approaches involving modern and traditional medicine, and these rifts were openly mentioned by CPI(M) at the time.
According to people close to the family, Achu’s strong and outspoken nature contributed to her being sidelined.
After Oommen Chandy’s death, there was strong public sentiment that Achu would contest from Puthuppally, but the ticket ultimately went to Chandy Oommen, who won with a massive majority of 37,719. This time, while he is expected to contest again from Puthuppally, internal assessments suggest his winning margin may fall below 25,000.
Though Chandy Oommen was initially unhappy with his sister’s political entry, he now appears more accommodating and has not openly opposed Maria’s activities. A close aide claimed that he believes Maria may not be able to sustain herself in active politics.
According to sources close to Maria, she has expressed interest in contesting from the Kanjirappally Assembly constituency. As part of her outreach, she met major community and spiritual leaders, including Kanjirappally Bishop Mar Jose Pulickal and conveyed her intention to contest.
However, the Congress leadership has not taken a final decision regarding her candidature.
Three constituencies are reportedly under consideration — Kanjirappally, Chengannur and Aranmula. Kanjirappally is currently represented by Dr N Jayaraj of the Kerala Congress (Mani faction), while Chengannur and Aranmula are represented by ministers Saji Cherian and Veena George, respectively.
In all three constituencies, Orthodox Christian voters play a crucial role, and Saji Cherian, Veena George and Maria Oommen all belong to the same Orthodox faction, making community leadership and their recommendations politically significant.
Senior Congress leaders believe that giving Maria a ticket could prove harmful to the party.
They cite earlier instances: Resistance within the party when the children of former chief minister K Karunakaran — K Muraleedharan and Padmaja Venugopal — were elevated to electoral politics, and protests by Youth Congress workers when AK Antony’s son Anil Antony was recommended for an Assembly election ticket by the then-Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran. Anil Antony later joined the BJP.
A senior leader remarked that granting Maria a ticket would be disastrous, arguing that two children from the same family claiming their father’s legacy for political entry is unfair.
The leader also pointed out that Maria lacks a political background compared to Chandy or Achu, while many Youth Congress and KSU leaders are active on the streets, face police action, endure summer heat and court arrest for the party.
In their view, Maria’s entry would mean denying a deserving candidate a chance.
They added that Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan, and other senior leaders have not responded to Maria’s claims and have avoided giving her unnecessary attention. Earlier, Shafi Parambil and Rahul Mamkootathil were seen backing Achu Oommen to counter Chandy Oommen, but both are now reportedly silent and less active in internal party discussions.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
