“Yes, I welcome a debate...": Shashi Tharoor Responds to Chandrasekhar's Debate Call, Slams BJP's Alleged "Politics of Hatred"

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, the incumbent three-term Thiruvananthapuram MP, hit out at BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar and responded to his "challenge" for an open debate ahead of the upcoming all-important 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While talking to a battery of media, Rajeev Chandrasekhar had declared his readiness to discuss regional development issues with Tharoor. The Congress MP accepted Chandrasekhar's challenge, while also taking a dig at the BJP, alleging that it was the saffron party that had been avoiding such debates.

The Congress leader shared the video clip of Chandrasekhar's challenge on social media and reiterated his willingness to engage in a debate focused on ideas, development, and track records. “Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism, and the BJP's 10 years of propagating politics of hatred,” posted the Congress MP on social media platform "X". "Let us also discuss about the development of Thiruvananthapuram and the visible progress we have made in last 15 years," he added. 

The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Kerala are expected to witness a high-stakes battle, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram, where the BJP has fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against incumbent Shashi Tharoor. Both leaders have expressed readiness to engage in a debate on the issues concerning the constituency, underscoring the significance of the electoral contest in the region.

Tharoor has been representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency since his electoral debut in 2009, retaining the seat in the subsequent general elections held in 2014 and 2019. Apart from Tharoor and Chandrasekhar, veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Pannyan Raveendran will also contest from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, which is one of the 20 Lok Sabha segments in Kerala. Voting for all seats in Kerala is scheduled for April 26, during the second phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls, which commence on April 19 and conclude on June 1, with vote counting slated for June 4.