Shashi Tharoor vs Rajeev Chandrasekhar: Who is winning Thiruvananthapuram?

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Thiruvananthapuram has been a stronghold of the Congress and Communist Party of India (CPI)

A tough fight ensued between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, as the counting of votes began for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday. The seat went to the polls in the second phase on April 26.

Throughout the day, trends fluctuated between the two leaders, before polls finally swayed towards the Congress veteran. Tharoor secured vicory from the Thiruvananthapuram seat with a vote margin of 16,077.

On Tuesday evening, Rajeev Chandrasekhar conceded defeat to Congress' Shashi Tharoor. He said the loss was "disappointing" as "BJP fought a very strong battle" in the state, that has been a Congress stronghold. 

"We have come very close and have set a record margin and vote share. It shows that people of Kerala are increasingly supporting the BJP. It is disappointing that I couldn't win today, but fought a clean campaign. We didn't use divisiveness like our opposition. Growth of BJP in Kerala is completely expected and will continue," Chandrasekhar told news agency PTI.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) had fielded Pannyan Raveendran, who represented this seat from 2005 to 2009. Raveedran secured 247,648 votes.
 

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Rajendra has secured only 2,352 votes, less than the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option, which received 6,753 votes.

On his victory in the constituency, Tharoor shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) sharing his gratitude with the public. The Congress leader said, "Thank you, the voters of Thiruvananthapuram, for once again placing your trust in me to represent you. I will discharge this responsibility with honesty and commitment. This victory is not just mine, but it is a victory for the forces of democracy, communal harmony and social justice."

What do the exit polls predict for Thiruvananthapuram?

According to India Today-Axis My India's exit polls, Thiruvananthapuram is poised for a close contest between Tharoor and Chandrasekhar. The BJP, which has previously come second in this constituency, is expected to make significant gains and potentially win 2-3 seats in Kerala.

What was the voter turnout in Thiruvananthapuram?

The Thiruvananthapuram constituency recorded a 66.47 per cent voter turnout (around 950,829 total count of votes) during polling in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This was a significant decrease in voter turnout compared to the last two elections.

In the 2019 and 2014 general elections, the polling percentage in this constituency was 73.45 and 68.63, respectively.

Who won the Thiruvananthapuram seat in the 2019 and 2014 LS elections?

This seat has been traditionally held by the Congress and Left, with the BJP coming in second and failing to secure the seat in the last two elections. This time, the ruling party had put forth one of its strongest contenders by fielding Chandrasekhar, a technocrat-turned-politician.

In the 2014 and 2019 elections, the BJP secured over 31 per cent and 32 per cent of the votes, respectively. In 2014, the BJP lost by approximately 15,000 votes, with Tharoor emerging victorious for Congress in both elections.

This time, Tharoor achieved a hat-trick despite the formidable challenge posed by Chandrasekhar.

Meanwhile, CPI's Pannyan Raveendran directed his campaign efforts towards the rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram, where the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has a stronger voter base. Raveendran remained optimistic about his chances.

He said to PTI, "A clear picture in favour of LDF is emerging in Thiruvananthapuram. There is no rural-urban divide here for the LDF to win the support of people."