United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Shashi Tharoor clinched victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency for the fourth consecutive term, overcoming a strong challenge from Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Mr. Tharoor’s win makes him the first politician to represent the constituency in Parliament for four terms.
Securing 3,58,155 votes (37.19%), the Congress Working Committee member won by a margin of 16,077 votes despite a notable erosion in the UDF’s vote base (4%) compared to the previous elections.
Mr. Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, garnered 3,42,078 votes (35.52%), marking NDA’s best-ever performance in the constituency.
LDF retains vote share
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) retained a vote tally largely similar to that in the 2019 general elections, with Communist Party of India veteran Pannian Raveendran securing 2,47,648 votes (25.72%).
A total of 6,684 voters opted for NOTA (None of the Above) in Thiruvananthapuram.
The UDF camp faced tense moments during counting as Mr. Chandrasekhar initially held a substantial lead stretching to over 23,000 for nearly two hours.
An Assembly segment-wise analysis of the votes polled reveals a considerable surge of votes bagged by the BJP-led coalition in the urban constituencies—Kazhakuttam, Vattiyurkavu, Thiruvananthapuram and Nemom. However, Mr. Tharoor’s strong performance in Parassala, Kovalam and Neyyattinkara, particularly aided by support from minority sections along the coastal belt and the Nadar community, proved pivotal in determining the outcome.
The voting pattern mirrored his victory in the 2014 general elections where he narrowly defeated BJP leader O. Rajagopal by 15,470 votes.
The outcome brought an end to an acrimonious contest that was rife with mudslinging among candidates and interventions by the Election Commission of India.
An elated Mr. Tharoor pledged efforts to perform to the best of his ability to be worthy of the “fourth blessing” and serve the people of Thiruvananthapuram well.
Offering a cricketing analogy, he said: “While the World T20 is going on in the United States and the West Indies, the Super Over was here. It was a very tight race. I congratulate my rivals for having put up such a spirited fight.” He added that while the BJP had trained its focus on Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, Suresh Gopi’s victory in the latter is a measure of the scale of their defeat in the State capital. “His systematic outreach to minority communities proved instrumental in his win. It is a very strong message to the BJP that a communal campaign will not go very far in Kerala.”
‘Commitment to continue’
Mr. Chandrasekhar, while expressing disappointment, said the NDA ran a “very positive campaign”, talked about the real issues faced by the people and refrained from a divisive approach in contrast to their competitors. “As a result, 3.4 lakh people of Thiruvananthapuram came out and supported us. This is a record and we have never received so many votes here. I believe we are on the right track. My commitment to Thiruvananthapuram and its people remains steadfast. I will certainly be here to serve the people for years to come,” he said.
Published - June 04, 2024 09:21 pm IST
