Kerala's upcoming election season is heating up as the BJP nominates Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to contest from Thiruvananthapuram, a constituency held by senior Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor for three consecutive terms.
Chandrasekhar, speaking to local media during the poll campaign, stated, "I am ready to debate [with Shashi Tharoor] over ideas, development, and whose track record is better. I have been 💮saying this since the beginning".
Tharoor, in response, accepted the "challenge" for an open debate, saying that voters in♑ the constituency know who has been avoiding a꧅ debate.
"Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of 🉐Thiruvananthapuram are aware o🍬f who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development," Shashi Tharoor wrote in a post on X.
He continued: "Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, commuꦬnalism, and the BJP's 10 years🌞 of propagating politics of hatred. Let us also discuss about the development of Thiruvananthapuram and the visible progress we have made in last 15 years."
A fierce election campaign has been going on in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency since both parties view it as a contest for prestige. Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Information Technology and Skill Development and a sitting Rajya Sabha MP is running for the Lok Sa💝bha for the first time.
The Union Minister's selection for the Thiruvananthapuram seat shows the BJP's focus on the southern states, where it was unable to 𝄹achieve any real ground in 2019.
Kerala is set to vote to elect its 20 Lok Sabha MPs on Apr▨il 26. Results will be declared on June 4.
