Forty long years as a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly gave Shri Oommen Chandy Ministerial berth for just around 8 years and ironically never did he hold an office for a full term. Short spells of Ministership however have the spark and glow of an able administrator and the vision of a Statesman.
            
His decision as Labour Minister to grant unemployment allowance to the millions of educated unemployed of the State was truly historic. As Home Minister Shri Oommen Chandy instilled a sense of confidence and gave a new look to the police force with an imaginative change in their uniform in tune with the times. A popular Finance Minister Oommen Chandy never turned his face off from taking really hard decisions to set the economy back on track and stabilize the State finances, which were in a shambles.      
             
A rather short tenure of Chief Ministership from end August 2004 to May 2006 witnessed the able Statesmanship of Oommen Chandy. A host of policy decisions and meticulous plan of action aimed at launching the State into a fast track of all round development and growth marked this period. Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal, Vizhinjam Port, Smart City, Metro Rail, Capital City Development, Kerala State Transport Project, Sabarimala Master Plan, Kannur International Airport, Trivandrum International Airport - these are some of the major initiatives which demonstrated the development vision of Oommen Chandy and his Statesmanship. 
             
Not to mention Oommen Chandy's compassion for the poor and the needy and his willingness even to go out of way to provide them solace would be unfair. Thousands and Thousands who thronged the Mass Contact Programme in increasing numbers across the state reflect their confidence in this man and demonstrate his determination to go all out in helping them.

A staunch proponent of Indian National Congress and its ideology, Chandy ventured into the political arena as an activist of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the party. He was the unit president of KSU at St George High School, Puthupally, and went on to become the State President of the organization. For a short period he was also the President of All Kerala Balajana Sakhyam.
 
He completed his college education from CMS College, Kottayam, SB College, Changanassery and Government Law College, Ernakulam. These campuses not only bestowed knowledge, but also moulded the career of a mass leader, Oommen Chandy.
 
His entry into the main stream Congress politics was through Youth Congress in which he served as the President at the state level. At the National level, he served the party as member of the AICC. He also associated with several trade unions, affiliated with INTUC, and has led several mass movements addressing causes concerning the commoner. He was elected to Kerala legislative Assembly for the first time from Puthupally constituency in 1970, and since then he never looked back.  The impeccable track record of winning 10 times continuously from the constituency is an eloquent testimony of his popularity and public acceptance.
 
His simple life style, immaculate track record and above all his compassionate behavior earns him a unique position in the minds of each and every Keralite

Chief Minister of Kerala is a Karmayogi. He has devoted, and is devoting all his time and energy during the last four decades for the well-being and development of the people of Kerala. The voters of Puthuppally were so impressed with this aspect of his personality that they stood with him in all general elections during the period. As a political worker, M.L.A, Opposition Leader and as Chief Minister he has handled issues dispassionately, with a rare sense of impartiality. He is doing things in a right earnest spirit, working for good result. He has nither interest nor time for vendetta against democratic adversaries in politics. Soon after assuming power he announced that harassing political opponents would not be his agenda, although he law would take its own course against offenders. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Oommen Chandy is an embodiment of democratic tolerance.

During the last four decades, he has also emerged as an undisputed mass leader. A staunch proponent of Indian National Congress and its ideology, Oommen Chandy ventured into the political arena as an activist of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the party. He had been the State President of KSU and his socio-cultural activism had led him to become the president of All Kerala Balajana Sakhyam.

He had emerged as a mass leader when he came out of the Law College, Ernakulam and soon afterwards he entered the mainstream congress politics through Youth Congress in which he served as State President. At the national level, he served the party as member of the AICC. As a leader of Indian National Trade Union Congress, he led several mass movements for the amelioration of the common man. He has been elected continuously to the state Legislative Assembly from Puthupally constituency since 1970. He was sworn in as chief Minister of the state in the UDF Government on 31^st August 2004. After the General Election in 2006 he took charge as Opposition Leader on 25^th May 2006. For the second time he has sworn in as Chief Minister on 18.05.2011.

For Brisk Realisation of Projects

Pursuing a do-it-now-itself approach in development and administrative matters, Oommen Chandy gave a new orientation to Government when he was chief Minister of the State. He brought to the awareness of the administrative machinery and the general Public that in a fast changing world brisk conceptualization and realisation of projects was all the more important. During his short tenure as Chief Minister he could imprint on the Malayalee psyche that efforts to realise mega projects like Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal, Smarty City, Vizhinjam Mother Port etc. were as important for the development of Kerala as protecting and improving the traditional sectors.

A Chief Minister with a difference

Oommen Chandy as Chief Minister in the last leg of the previous UDF ministry gave Kerala a new experience in solving the problems of the common people. Firstly he established direct empathy with the suffering lot of Kerala society. In his effort to solve their problems in quickest possible time he found limitations in Government processes. There was also lack of funds. In a whirlwind action tour of the state he could win over the support of the entire bureaucracy, find out ways to solve their problems as quick as possible observing official formalities and avoid waste of time. As Chief Minister, he came face to face with the hapless and needy in all the fourteen districts of the state.

Hundreds of thousands of unresolved human problems tangled for long in government files were presented before him in all the fourteen districts of the State. It was to his credit that all those concerned with the matters on hand cooperated with his style of administration of overriding blind and thoughtless queries. No wonder a majority of the cases brought before him was solved without the lapse of a day. His name, thus, become a synonym of the effectiveness of a ruler in delivering relief to the needy.

As Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy had been watching the performance of the LDF Government under from its inception on May 18,2006 with breadth of vision and equanimity which had come down to him as a legacy of congress politics. As Opposition Leader he did not believe in filibustering. When the activities of the LDF Government appeared harmful to the interests of the people he opposed them with constructive criticism urging the Government to retrace from wrongful steps. He turned back on calling up violent agitations, bandh, hartal, etc. as means of protest. Instead, he resorted to the democratic way of building up awareness among the people and raising their conscience against those wrongful deeds. He rushed personally to wherever problems arose; giving relief and rest to the people.

Both as Opposition Leader and Chief Minister he insisted on keeping transparency in all government transactions. When the pursuits of the previous LDF Government got shrouded in scandals, violance and nepotism, he threw his weight behind the struggles both within the legislature and outside for bringing the truth to light.

As a politician his heart throbbed for the well-being of the oppressed, the down-trodden and the poor. When the LDF Government remained adamant against the nonviolent struggle of 7000 odd SC/ST families at Chengara for livelihood rights, he came up with clear proposals before the then Chief Minister, for resolving the issue. He opposed the raw deal meted out to people displaced for Government projects like those at Moolampally and campaigned for their rehabilitation.