P.J. Francis, the giant-killer who stole the show in 1996

The biggest surprise of the 1996 Assembly elections was perhaps the shock defeat of Communist Party of India (Marxist) veteran V.S. Achuthanandan in the Mararikulam Assembly constituency. While Mr. Achuthanandan bit the dust in one of the party's citadels at a time when he was tipped to be the CPI(M)'s Chief Minister candidate, P.J. Francis of the Congress, his opponent, received the status of a giant-killer.