As Kerala is gearing up for byelections in five Assembly constituencies - Vattiyoorkkavu in Thiruvanathapuram district, Konni in Pathanamthitta, Aroor in Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Manjeswaram in Kasargod - on October 21, political commentator and former Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam Dr Cyriac Thomas shares many rare stories behind bypolls - both Parliament and Assembly - in the state since 1953 in this three-part video story.
In the first part, Dr Cyriac Thomas provides an overview of the byelections before dwelling on how the Congress had denied legendary freedom fighter Accamma Cheriyan the ticket to contest the 1953 bypoll.
Accamma eventually contested the election as an independent with the support of the Communist Party. But she was defeated by Congress candidate George Thomas Kottukappilly. In the second part, Dr Cyriac Thomas narrates a noble gesture by Kottukappilly to Accamma Cherian.
In the last part, Dr Cyriac Thomas dwells on the three Kerala chief ministers who contested bypolls to continue in power.
