With two strong opponents, Shashi Tharoor, a two-time MP, is facing a tough fight in Thiruvananthapuram.
One is a global citizen. The other is a “katta local” (extremely local). The third one is an epitome of simplicity, almost like a sanyasi. All eyes are on the three Lok Sabha candidates from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency—Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, C. Divakaran of the CPI and Kummanam Rajasekharan of the BJP. For, if—and that is a big if—the BJP opens its account in Kerala, it would be from the capital city. And, that makes the contest in Thiruvananthapuram nationally significant.
Tharoor, called Vishwa pouran (global citizen) adoringly by his admirers and mockingly by his opponents, is certainly the “star” among the contestants. While the former international civil servent knows how to work his charm on the voters, he rarely tries to be one of them and gives an impression that voters should feel honoured to be represented by him. But, that could be because Malayalam does not come easily to him. Take, for instance, his address to onlookers who had gathered at a local market in Parassala. “I am willing to be your representative. I will ensure that your voice is heard in the Indian Parliament through me,” he said in a heavily accented Malayalam. But, Gandhariyamma, 55, a vegetable vendor, was thoroughly impressed. “I will vote for him. He is a big man,” she said, admiringly. And, it is a sentiment shared by many women across the constituency.
Tharoor’s popularity, however, seems to be on the wane. His victory margin had thinned from 99,998 votes in 2009 to 15,470 votes in 2014. It was only because of the support in the Christian-dominated coastal belt that he barely managed to defeat BJP’s O. Rajagopal. That, too, despite the CPI fielding an insignificant candidate—Dr Bennet Abraham.
この記事は THE WEEK の April 28, 2019 版に掲載されています。
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