Thiruvananthapuram braces for a high-stakes electoral showdown as incumbent MP and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor gears up to defend his seat against Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Skill Development and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has put forward CPI leader Pannyan Raveendran as its candidate for the constituency.
Chandrasekhar's Entry Transforms LS Seat into 3-Way Contest
Raveendran's nomination adds another layer of competitiveness to the electoral landscape of Thiruvananthapuram, especially given his prior victory in the same constituency back in 2005. Chandrasekhar's entry into the fray has shifted the dynamics of the seat, turning it into a three-way contest that is poised to be among the most closely watched battles in the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for April-May.
Tharoor Faces Formidable Challenge
More significantly, Tharoor, who has held the seat successfully since 2009, faces a formidable challenge from Chandrasekhar, setting the stage for an interesting battle. Historically, the Thiruvananthapuram constituency has seen a seesaw between the CPM and the Congress party before Tharoor's three-term winning streak.
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BJP's Ambitious Southern Strategy
Political analysts argue that the BJP's decision to nominate Chandrasekhar highlights the party's ambitions to carve out a presence in the southern state, where it has historically faced obstacles in building electoral momentum. By choosing Chandrasekhar as its candidate, the BJP has demonstrated its commitment to challenging prevailing political conventions and expanding its footprint in areas where it has previously encountered electoral resistance.
BJP Eyes 370 Seats
The BJP has set an ambitious goal of securing 370 seats, a notable increase from the 303 seats it won in 2019. With this target in sight, the party showcases unwavering confidence in its selection of candidates. By nominating Chandrasekhar, the BJP firmly believes that he possesses the capability to take on Tharoor's stature in the political arena.
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Tharoor Defending Personal Reputation
As Chandrasekhar enters his maiden Lok Sabha election race, Tharoor gears up for what could potentially be his last campaign, as he has suggested previously. With Kerala currently lacking representation from the BJP in the lower House, Chandrasekhar's candidacy carries substantial promise for the party. A defeat for him would pose a huge setback, especially given his current role as a Union minister. On the other hand, for Tharoor, this election is about defending his personal reputation. Analysts say that a loss in his own constituency could signal a disappointing departure from electoral politics.
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BJP Intensifies Southern Expansion Strategy
The BJP sees Chandrasekhar, with family roots in Thrissur, as a potential disruptor in Thiruvananthapuram, part of the party's strategy to bolster its presence in the South. During a recent Kerala visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced the BJP's aim for double-digit representation in the state.
Tharoor's Electoral Journey: From Victory to Narrow Contest and Strong Comeback
In the 2009 elections, Tharoor secured a significant victory with a margin of nearly 1 lakh votes. However, in 2014, BJP veteran O Rajagopal presented a formidable challenge to the Congress leader, narrowing the margin to 15,470 votes. Despite this tight contest, Tharoor made a strong comeback in 2019, clinching more than four lakh votes, while BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan trailed as the runner-up with approximately 3.16 lakh votes.
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Chandrasekhar: From Engineering to Entrepreneurship
After Chandrasekhar completed his electrical engineering degree at Manipal Institute of Technology, he went on to pursue a Master's degree in Computer Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He began his professional journey at Intel in 1988. However, in 1991, he returned to India and joined BPL Group. Notably, he founded BPL Mobile in 1994. In a significant move in 2005, Chandrasekhar attracted attention by selling his 64 percent stake in BPL Communications to Essar Group for an impressive sum of $1.1 billion. Following this, in the same year, he established Jupiter Capital with an initial investment of $100 million, marking a new phase in his entrepreneurial pursuits.
Tharoor's Career: From United Nations to Indian Politics
Tharoor pursued his Bachelor's degree in history from St. Stephen's College in New Delhi. He then went on to obtain his Master's degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, US. Additionally, he holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a PhD in International Relations and Affairs.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP started his career at the United Nations in 1978 as a staff member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva. He resigned from his position as Under-Secretary-General in April 2007.
From Independent RS Member to BJP Representative
In 2006, Chandrasekhar started his parliamentary journey as an independent member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Karnataka. In 2018, he was re-elected for his third term to the Rajya Sabha, this time as a member of the BJP.
Tharoor's Political Debut: Landslide Win in Thiruvananthapuram
Tharoor contested his debut Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in 2009, securing victory with an impressive margin of nearly 1 lakh votes.
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