United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Chandy Oommen, son of late Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has declared that he has assets worth Rs.15.98 lakhs including Rs 15,000 as cash in hand and Rs 15.83 lakh in his bank account. Chandy Oommen filed his nomination papers for the upcoming bye-elections in the Puthuppally assembly constituency in Kottayam district on Thursday, August 17.

The affidavit shows that Chandy Oommen has no other assets in the form of land, movable or immovable properties. But the 37-year-old Chandy Oommen has liabilities worth Rs 12.73 lakh.

The bye-poll, being held in the aftermath of Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s demise, is scheduled to take place on September 5. 

As per the affidavit, Chandy Oommen, who describes himself as an advocate and social worker, gets a monthly income of Rs 25,000. He also has pending police cases against him at Pathanamthitta, Enath, Ranni and Thiruvananthapuram Fort police stations in connection with various political protests that he had been part of. 

Chandy Oommen will be up against Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) Jaick C Thomas, who filed his affidavit on Wednesday. According to the affidavit declared by Jaick, he and his wife do not have any income. Jaick had Rs 1 lakh in bank deposits and immovable assets worth Rs 2.06 crore. The immovable assets are mainly agricultural land in his village and commercial buildings in the name of his father in Kottayam. His wife Geethu Thomas was said to own 100 grams of gold worth over Rs 5 lakh. As per the declaration, Jaick, who is also a prominent leader of the CPI(M)’s youth wing, DYFI, has Rs 4,000 in hand, besides a bank deposit of ₹1.07 lakh in a joint account with his mother.