Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency: With two common faces taking up one another, the Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala has hogged the highlight once more forward of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. BJP has fielded Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in opposition to incumbent Congress’ Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram.
Each Chandrasekhar, 59, and Tharoor, 67, are high-profile faces, each suave and articulate leaders identified for his or her numerous accomplishments. However, Raveendran, 78, has been positioning himself as an underdog.
Will Shashi Tharoor retain his seat?
Senior Congress chief Shashi Tharoor.
Senior Congress chief and ex-Union minister Shashi Tharoor has been profitable the Thiruvananthapuram seat since 2009. He’s now set to be nominated by the Congress for his fourth bid.
Former UN diplomat, Tharoor is among the many hottest Congress leaders in Kerala, whose picture was additional burnished after he contested, albeit unsuccessfully, the Congress presidential election in October 2022. Even within the 2014 elections, when he was confronted with one among his hardest challenges within the wake of his spouse Sunanda Pushkar’s demise, Tharoor managed to retain his seat.
Though assured that his monitor report as an MP since 2009 could be his greatest asset on this election too, Tharoor mentioned he wouldn’t be complacent. “I took the seat in 2009 from the Communists who had gained two earlier elections and held it in opposition to the BJP which got here second. Now it’s a three-cornered election and I don’t take any election without any consideration,” Tharoor instructed The Indian Express.
Robust battle from Rajiv Chandrasekhar
Minister of State for Electronics and Data Know-how Rajeev Chandrasekhar. PTI
Rajiv Chandrasekhar’s plunge into the capital fray has turned it right into a triangular affair, which will likely be probably the most watched battles within the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Chandrasekhar’s main problem could be familiarising himself along with his constituents whereas his two opponents have already been identified faces within the belt. His nomination got here on the eve of the polls at the same time as a number of state BJP leaders had been vying to get it.
The BJP has by no means been in a position to win a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Within the Meeting polls, the get together gained solely as soon as from Nemam in Thiruvananthapuram district, the place O Rajagopal had gained in 2016.
Within the 2019 polls, the BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan had gained 31.3 % votes, the best amongst what the BJP acquired within the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies within the state.
The BJP’s obvious delay in deciding Chandrasekhar’s ticket – he was not invited to the a number of programmes Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended in Thiruvananthapuram within the current previous – and the attainable lack of assist from the native BJP unit may undermine his prospects, BJP sources mentioned.
Chandrasekhar’s reasonable picture additionally took a beating as he was accused by each the Left and Congress leaders of polarising the discourse within the wake of the Kalamassery blasts that killed two and injured over 50 followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses in October final 12 months.
CPM-led LDF- the third contender
Pannyan Raveendran
The CPM-led LDF has fielded CPI chief Pannyan Raveendran from the constituency, who had gained it in 2005.
Raveendran has a picture of a commoner. Whereas each Tharoor and Chandrasekhar are upper-caste Nairs, the LDF candidate is from a backward group. “Raveendran is an underdog, and he might shock others by rising as a winner between the conflict of the so-called titans,” mentioned a Left chief.
Nonetheless, Raveendran’s assertion that he would not contest the elections forward of his get together’s announcement of his candidature might damage his possibilities.
Some Left leaders say Raveendran might additionally capitalise on the perceived disenchantment amongst a bit of coastal space residents – essential vote base like Nairs within the constituency – in opposition to Tharoor and the BJP-led Centre over the Adani Vizhinjam port undertaking. The coastal communities together with Christian and Hindu Nadars have been upset with Tharoor for supporting the undertaking.
