In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shashi Tharoor, Congress’ seasoned MP from Thiruvananthapuram and the party’s nominee for a fourth term, has agreed to Union Minister and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s invitation for an open debate. Tharoor pointedly criticized the BJP, suggesting that the citizens of Thiruvananthapuram are well aware of which party has previously avoided engaging in debates.
Through a statement on X, Tharoor expressed his readiness for the debate, emphasizing the city’s discernment of the real party avoiding dialogue. “Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram know who has been dodging a debate until now. Let’s discuss politics and development,” he stated.
He proposed topics for the debate such as inflation, unemployment, corruption, communalism, and what he described as the BJP’s decade-long promotion of divisive politics. Tharoor also highlighted the need to discuss the development of Thiruvananthapuram district and the “tangible progress made in the last 15 years”. Alongside his comments, Tharoor shared a clip of Chandrasekhar speaking to the local press, where the Union Minister expressed his readiness to debate on development, performance, and ideas, noting that he has been open to such discussions from the beginning.
In this electoral contest, Pannyan Raveendran, a seasoned figure from the Communist Party of India (CPI), will also compete against BJP’s Chandrasekhar and Congress’ Tharoor. Following the conclusion of his Rajya Sabha term on April 2, Chandrasekhar, who did not pursue re-election to the upper house, showed enthusiasm for participating in his first Lok Sabha election, viewing it as a new chapter in his political career. Having begun his parliamentary career in May 2006 as a Rajya Sabha member for Karnataka, this marks a significant shift for him.
Tharoor, on the other hand, entered the political arena in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, successfully holding onto the Thiruvananthapuram seat through the 2014 and 2019 elections. Currently leading the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, Tharoor has a notable history of public service, including roles as the Minister of State for Human Resource Development and for External Affairs in the Indian government.
With all 20 Kerala constituencies set to vote on April 26, in the second phase of the seven-phase general elections, the anticipation is building. The outcome for the 543 Lok Sabha seats will be revealed on June 4, marking a crucial moment for the state and the nation.
