Innocent turns giant killer

Ace Malayalam film actor Innocent, the CPI-M backed Independent candidate from Chalakudy constituency who created ripples by defeating senior Congress leader P C Chacko, is the first film personality from Kerala to enter the lower House of Parliament.
Unlike actors coming out victorious in other states, Kerala electorate has never sent anyone from the film industry to the Lok Sabha.
Late actor Murali had in 1999 unsucessfully contested from Alapuzha as CPI-M candidate and film director Lenin Rajendran also failed in the bid to reach the Lok Sabha on earlier occasions.
Late actor Prem Nazir, considered the evergreen hero of Malalayam films, had joined congress, but could not make a mark in politics. He also harboured dreams of contesting and winning a Lok Sabha seat.

Innocent, who fought cancer last year and was recovering, was taken in by suprise when he was approached by the CPI(M) to be its party supported Independent candidate from Chalakudy.
The actor, who played comic roles with elan in most of his films, was never considered a serious candidate against Chacko, who was the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which probed the 2 G scam. But taking everyone by surprise, he won by 14,053 votes.
Innocent is the President of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists Association (AMMA) for the past 13 years.