Congress MP and Thiruvananthapuram candidate, Shashi Tharoor, patiently waited in line outside a polling booth in his constituency for his turn to vote. Tharoor, a former UN diplomat and prominent Congress leader, is seeking re-election for the fourth consecutive term from Thiruvananthapuram. He faces a challenging two-front battle against Union Minister of State, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Panniyan Ravindran.
Having held the seat since 2009, Tharoor acknowledges the formidable opposition posed by the BJP, particularly with Chandrashekhar’s strong candidacy. Chandrashekhar’s previous stint as the MoS for electronics, Entrepreneurship, and Information Technology adds weight to his challenge.
In an interview with a leading news wire, Tharoor said, “Elections are decided by the people. The people have conveyed very clearly to us…exactly what they feel. The trust they have placed in me three times in a row, they are prepared to place in me once more… The BJP is so desperate now, that they are scenting failure. After the first round when all the indications coming out of the voting booths were that people had turned against the BJP governments in a big way, even in the Hindi-speaking states… We’re getting the indication that the BJP is in for a very rude shock.”
LS polls: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor casts his vote in Thiruvananthapuram
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/bXiXojdZ7I#ShashiTharoor #Congress #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/oSAbzuFbmt
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#WATCH | Kerala: Congress MP and candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor says, “…This election is about far greater than my own future. It is about India’s future. It is about changing the government in Delhi. We are here to restore democracy, restore faith in… pic.twitter.com/WsLWnR7dvQ
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
The ongoing second phase of polling covers 88 Lok Sabha constituencies across 13 States/Union Territories, including significant numbers in Kerala, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, among others. With normal weather conditions expected, the Election Commission has ensured adequate arrangements at polling stations to accommodate voters comfortably.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), over 15.88 crore voters, including a substantial number of male, female, and third-gender electors, are expected to participate in this phase. Rigorous surveillance measures, including flying squads, static surveillance teams, and video monitoring, are in place across the 1.67 lakh polling stations to swiftly address any attempts to influence voters, as per an ECI press release.
READ MORE: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Heatwave Likely To Hit Voters As They Gear Up For Second Phase
