Thiruvananthapuram:
It was this day 42 years ago that Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was sworn in as a legislator for the first time. Since then, he has won nine successive elections, all from the Puthupally constituency in Kottayam.
In all, he has won 10 assembly elections. His record is bettered only by his finance minister, KM Mani, who has an uninterrupted victory run from 1967 on.
Incidentally, Mr Chandy was only 26 when he won from his home constituency of Puthupally. He now knows voters by name, and the constituency is as familiar to him as the back of his hand.
Mr Chandy has, in his years in politics, held several political posts: from being a minister in the K Karunakaran cabinet in 1977, to holding important portfolios like home, finance and leader of opposition, besides being chief minister on two occasions.
There is one position, though, that Mr Chandy has never held - he has not been state Congress president.
On the day that marked the anniversary of his entry into the legislature, Mr Chandy was busy chairing the weekly cabinet meeting, which would be followed by an all-party meeting to discuss waste management.
From the time Mr Chandy entered the state legislature in 1970, three others continue be legislators - Finance Minister KM Mani, cabinet colleague PJ Joseph and Leader of Opposition VS Achuthanandan.
Come October 31, Mr Chandy turns 69.