Thiruvananthapuram: It was business as usual for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who turned 69 on Wednesday.
Always seen surrounded by a crowd, Chandy did not spend much time with his family on his birthday as he started the day early with his hectic schedule.
Apart from the weekly cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister had a handful of engagements including a crucial discussion with 'metroman' E Sreedharan to decide the fate of Kochi Metro, which has been dominating the government's agenda for the last few days.
Once known as a close lieutenant of AK Antony, Chandy's first stint as Chief Minister came after his mentor resigned in 2004 when Congress was routed in Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Since then, the leadership question in the state Congress has hardly been disputed as Chandy was unanimously chosen as Opposition leader in 2006 and as Chief Minister in 2011.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 16:09