He made his swan song at Piravom bypoll rally

KOCHI: Left candidate M J Jacob’s election convention during the Piravom bypoll was the last public function attended by CPI state secretary CK Chandrappan, who died on Thursday. At the LDF election rally at Irumbanam, near Mulanthuruthy, Chandrappan had addressed the gathering along with Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan.Blasting the UDF Government in the State and the UPA Government at the Centre, Chandrappan elaborated on why M J Jacob should be elected from Piravom.He had also voiced concern over the imminent petrol price hike and the increasing number of farmer suicides in the state. Referring to the Selvaraj issue, which has been creating ripples in Kerala politics then, Chandrappan had accused the Congress for prompting MLAs for betrayal. Chandrappan attended the election convention despite his illness. And it was during the convention that his condition worsened.“He was supposed to attend two more conventions. But owing to his ill-health, he could not attend more meetings. Before the election declaration was made Chandrappan had attended a CPI party meeting at Piravom, where he spoke for more than an hour. That time I was also present,” M J Jacob recalls.