Kalady: Pauly Baby, the UDF candidate contesting from ward 18 of Kalady panchayat in the upcoming local body elections, has refused to shut down her thattukada (wayside eatery) even as she actively campaigns. Pauly, a Congress nominee and the chairperson of the Kalady Community Development Society (CDS), has been running the small eatery along the Mattoor–Nedumbassery Road for the past one and a half years.

The stall, which usually operates from 5 am to 11 am and again from 4 pm to 8 pm, now opens only in the mornings to accommodate her election schedule. By 8 am, Pauly hands over the counter to her husband, Baby, before heading out to meet voters.

Baby, a former painter and a heart patient, cannot take on strenuous work and requires nearly ₹6,000 every month for medical treatment. With Pauly on the campaign trail, the thattukada remains the family's only steady source of income, making it impossible for them to pause operations during the election season.

Pauly has cleared the ECG technician course and she worked at a clinic in Thiruvananthapuram before her wedding. A relative had funded Pauly's education as her father was bedridden for nearly 28 years following an accident. After her wedding, Pauly worked in various shops. Her son has passed a degree course, and her daughter has passed plus-two (class 12).

Pauly said that she does not seek votes from customers as supporters of all political parties visit her eatery. LDF Independent Jolly Sijo and Mini Mani of the BJP are Jolly’s rival candidates in the ward.