Will Shashi Tharoor Pass The Thiruvananthapuram Test For Fourth Time?
Congress has nominated Shashi Tharoor for the fourth consecutive term in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. Shashi Tharoor, a renowned author and former UN diplomat, has been a prominent voice in Indian politics and Congress in last one and half decades, known for his articulate debates and extensive literary contributions.
Mr Tharoor’s prominence in the party has rose further after last general elections after he participated in the president elections held in which he lost to Mallikarjun Kharge. The coverage of the Congress president elections and his candidacy attracted and invited more debates in the Congress party as Kharge is considered an establishment candidate while Tharoor was projected as an outsider.
Mr Tharoor”s past electoral performances have been noteworthy, as he was able to sail over heavy competition from the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram. He first contested from Thiruvananthapuram in 2009, winning by a comfortable margin. His electoral victory in Kerala’s state capital was attributed to his intellectual appeal and promises of development for the constituency.
In subsequent elections, Shashi Tharoor continued to enjoy popular support, securing victories in 2014 and 2019. Despite facing criticism and controversies, including his eloquent use of English in a largely Malayalam-speaking constituency in the initial days, Mr Tharoor”s charisma and progressive agenda have resonated with voters, and he emerged victorious in the prestigious seat.
BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Facing off against him this time in the state capital is Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP, a successful entrepreneur and media magnate. BJP is banking heavily on Mr Chandrasekhar to wrest the constituency from the former Union Minister who denied the saffron party an entry into Lok Sabha from Kerala. With his background in business and politics, Mr Chandrasekhar poses a formidable challenge to Tharoor”s stronghold and is expected to perform well in a constituency which has the historic Assembly constituency which helped BJP enter Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time with O Rajagopal.
LDF candidate Pannyan Ravindran
Meanwhile, representing the state-ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is CPI’s Pannian Ravindran, a seasoned politician known for his grassroots activism and commitment to social justice causes. Before Shashi Tharoor started his victory lap in 2009, it was Mr Ravindran who was representing the constituency.
