THE BIG FIGHT: THE BATTLE FOR THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Both Tharoor and Chandrasekhar check somewhat the same boxes, as both belong to the Nair community, both are professionals turned parliamentarians and appeal to a similar middle-class professionals and youth base.

- PRIYA SAHGAL

The election in Thiruvananthapuram is proving to be one of the most keenly watched contests in these Lok Sabha polls. The seat is currently held by its third term MP, Shashi Tharoor, who is also the longest serving MP from the constituency. He has held onto his seat largely due to the force of his own charisma, for his people’s connect far outdoes his party’s base. This election was considered a walkover for the Congressled UDF coalition, until the BJP introduced a high-profile candidate in Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who has the reputation of being a doer and someone who delivers. The two check somewhat the same boxes, as both belong to the Nair community, both are professionals turned parliamentarians and appeal to a similar middle-class professionals and youth base. Chandrasekhar’s task is not easy for the BJP’s vote share is around 30% to 31% at best. The party does not have a single MP from the state and his candidature was only announced on 3 March. But in that short span of time Rajeev has infused energy and buzz around the BJP’s campaign. On a lighter note, the buzz is that most of the candidates refused to stand against Tharoor saying the women vs men ratio in the state is over 50% in favour of the former; which leaves the rest only 40 plus percent of the vote share to contest from. Nonetheless, it’s a gauntlet that Chandrasekhar has picked up.