Kerala is expected to see one of the fiercest battles in the Lok Sabha elections, as the BJP has pitted Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram, a seat held by the Congress veteran since 2009.
While this would be the first time that Chandrashekhar will be contesting the Lok Sabha election, Tharoor had earlier indicated that the 2024 polls would be his last. Chandrashekhar is currently an MP from the Rajya Sabha.
Though Congress is yet to release its candidate list, Tharoor is expected to fight the elections this year.
BJP's choice in deploying Chandrashekhar also indicates the party's expectation of making a mark in the southern state, where it has historically failed to capture people's votes.