Rajeev Chandrasekhar banks on Modi's guarantees and coastal votes in Thiruvananthapuram

BJP Thiruvananthapuram candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar

When Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, was announced as the BJP candidate for Thiruvananthapuram on March 2, little did one know that he would turn out to be a serious contender against three-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

In January, BJP leader O Rajagopal, a former union minister who lost to Tharoor in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram, had said that it would be difficult to defeat the Congress leader from the state capital. However, he later backtracked from his statement, stating that his opinion was misinterpreted.

Also Read: Rajeev Chandrasekhar fielded from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha Seat in 2024 polls

As the electoral race heats up, it appears that it might not be a walk in the park for Tharoor. Kerala votes on April 26, and its capital city is set for a photo finish. Besides Chandrasekhar, Left candidate and veteran CPI  leader Panniyan Raveendran is also making his presence felt in the constituency.

In Thiruvananthapuram, Chandrasekhar’s posters and banners outnumber those of his opponents. Their catchy taglines  — 'Ini Karyam Nadakkum' (Now, things will happen), and 'Thiruvananthapuram thinu Modiyudae guarantee' (Modi's guarantee for Thiruvananthapuram) are aimed at wooing aspirational young voters.

The BJP’s election committee office is at Bakery Junction, right opposite the Reserve Bank of India office. The under-construction commercial complex which was converted into an election office is hard to miss as it is covered with pictures of Chandrasekhar and senior NDA leaders. Most posters feature Modi prominently, while Tharoor and Panniyan’s posters mainly have their pictures.

The BJP election committee's office in Thiruvananthapuram is at Bakery Junction, right opposite the Reserve Bank of India office.

Chandrasekhar's camp believes that a split in anti-BJP votes enabled by the Left Front, along with coastal votes and anti-incumbency against Tharoor, will help the party win its first Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Technocrat-turned-politician Chandrasekhar is also wooing aspiring young voters as well as middle-class families with BJP's promise to transform the state capital, and has roped in popular Malayalam actor Shobana for his campaign. BJP is eyeing almost the same vote bank as Tharoor — the upper-class Nair community, women, and young voters.

Also Read: MC Interview: Opponents in Thiruvananthapuram running away from debates, says Shashi Tharoor

Hectic campaign schedule

Chandrasekhar, contesting his maiden Lok Sabha election, is new to the city but is reaching out to all corners of his constituency. Moneycontrol followed him on the campaign trail for a day in Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram.

The PA system of Chandrasekhar’s campaign vehicle blared in Malayalam: "The technocrat who provided mobile phones (BPL Mobile) to Kerala... India's IT minister... For the development of Thiruvananthapuram... Union minister who first established AI labs for students in schools... Rajeev Chandrasekhar is here."

His campaign  was to start at 3 pm at Kundamon Bhagom Devi temple in Vattiyoorkavu. Prior to his arrival, local BJP leaders gave speeches from a makeshift stage on a vehicle. "What has Tharoor done for Thiruvananthapuram in the last 15 years? Who will be the PM candidate of the opposition who can match Modi?" a leader of Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of BJP, asked the gathering.

Chandrasekhar arrived wearing his trademark kurta embroidered with a lotus (BJP's symbol). Senior party leaders, Thampanoor Satheesh (who recently joined the BJP from the Congress where he was the district committee general secretary), and United Nurses Association (UNA) President Jasmin Shah, among others, greeted him on the dais.

“This election is crucial for Thiruvananthapuram to move forward. For 15 years, CongressMP  Tharoor has been applying the brakes on this city,  when Narendra Modi has been taking India forward in terms of development and progress,” said Chandrasekhar.

He added that the three-time MP and Left-led state government are in an alliance at the Centre. “They have no solutions for the problems and grievances that people are facing. The state government, which has been ruling for the last eight years, has no money for pensions and salaries, and is forced to borrow. This election will provide an opportunity to select a party that has a good track record in development.”

Also Read: My taxable income plummeted to Rs 680 in 2021-22 due to Covid-19 losses: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

“Modi has taken the country further in the last 10 years compared to the UPA’s decade. The left government has a poor track record. There is a need for change and you all should help and bless me. If I win, a lot of issues and grievances can be resolved, for I have the ability and talent to do it," Chandrasekhar asserted.

Following his speech, he visited the gate of the temple, and slogans of Jai Jai BJP, Jai Jai Narendra Modi rang in the air. Crackers were burst, lotus petals were showered, and Chandrasekhar was draped in saffron shawls. He then climbed into a jeep for his street campaign, and waved at those lined up to have a glimpse of him. Everywhere — at junctions and inside roads — he was welcomed by BJP supporters, including women and children.

When the convoy reached Manchadimoodu in Vattiyoorkavu in the evening, it passed by the LDF booth committee office. For a while, campaign songs of both parties reverberated in the air. While Chandrasekhar's convoy was supposed to reach Vattiyoorkavu, in north-east Thiruvananthapuram, at 9:30 pm, it reached only Malamukal at 10 pm, which it was supposed to reach at 7:35 pm.  Many functionaries were waiting to welcome him at Vattiyoorkavu with drums, but they left disappointed. "What do we do with the crackers now?,'' some of them asked.

A BJP functionary said they are getting more support this time across the constituency, especially in the coastal areas. “People are looking for a change as there is voter fatigue against Tharoor after 15 years. BJP's victory is certain, unless the Left party transfers their votes to Tharoor.”

BJP pins hopes on Thiruvananthapuram

The BJP views Thiruvananthapuram as a constituency where it has a good chance of winning. The BJP came second in the last two elections, with Kummanam Rajasekharan garnering 3.16 lakh votes in the 2019 polls, and O Rajagopal securing 2.82 lakh votes in 2014, both against Tharoor.

Among the seven assembly segments in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, all except Kovalam (held by UDF) have LDF MLAs (Kazhakootam, Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram, Nemom, Parassala, and Neyyattinkara). In fact, BJP secured the second place in Kazhakootam, Vattiyoorkavu, and Nemom, surpassing the Congress. While the RSS was directly involved in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, this time BJP's central and state leaders, along with Chandrasekhar's team, are overseeing the campaign.

 Coastal votes

The BJP is also carrying out intensive campaigns in coastal areas like Vizhinjam, which is dominated by Catholic voters and considered a UDF stronghold. Voters in coastal areas are reportedly unhappy with Tharoor after he extended support to the Adani Vizhinjam port project. Fisherfolk complain that Tharoor has done little to address development issues and coastal erosion.

The BJP is now attempting to make inroads into coastal areas, especially in assembly segments like Kovalam, which contributed to increasing Tharoor's victory margin in previous elections. “Winds of change are blowing along the coast. A large number of people turned up to support me during my campaign tour of Vizhinjam. Solving their problems is a priority for me,” Chandrasekhar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He told a fisherwoman in Vizhinjam, “You’ve given 15 years to an MP, give me one chance, and I will solve your problems.”

“My mission is to transform the lives of every citizen of Thiruvananthapuram. For over 10 years, Kerala has lagged and been deprived of development, while India moved at an unprecedented pace. Young Indians of Thiruvananthapuram, along with women, students, entrepreneurs, the fishing communities — no one should be left behind anymore; all of them deserve opportunities to fulfill their dreams and aspirations,” said Chandrasekhar on his campaign portal.

Chandrasekhar's camp believes that a split in anti-BJP votes enabled by veteran CPI leader Panniyan Raveendran, along with coastal votes and anti-incumbency against three-time MP Tharoor, will help the party win its maiden Lok Sabha seat in Kerala.