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Journalism of Courage
Hours after praising Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for “winning again and again” from Thiruvananthapuram, veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal backtracked from his statement, saying his opinion was misinterpreted.
Speaking at a public event, in which Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Sivakumar gave an award instituted by a media foundation to Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, the 94-year-old BJP leader indicated that it is tough to defeat the Congress MP in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Eulogising Tharoor, Rajagopal, a former Union minister of state during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, said: “He (Tharoor) has succeeded in influencing the mind of the people of Thiruvananthapuram. That is why he is winning again and again from there. I doubt whether someone else would get a chance from Thiruvananthapuram in near future.’’
The remarks came two days after Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar inaugurated the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Thiruvananthapuram, where BJP sees a chance of victory in the Lok Sabha elections. Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary constituency is top on the BJP’s agenda. In the last two Lok Sabha elections, it is the only constituency in Kerala where the BJP finished second. Its best show was in 2014 when O Rajagopal, who got 32.32% votes, narrowly lost out to Tharoor who received 34.09% votes. Rajagopal had increased his vote share by more than 20 percentage points when compared to the 2009 elections.
Apparently after the party took strong exception to Rajagopal’s praise for Tharoor, the former Nemom MLA who had won the first Assembly seat for the BJP in Kerala in 2016, came out with an explanation. “In the changed political scenario and on account of (Narendra) Modi government’s performance, chances of (BJP) winning Thiruvananthapuram is high. My personal and political stand is that BJP will win Thiruvananthapuram this time. Tharoor’s presence in the constituency is insignificant,’’ he said.
Thiruvananthapuram holds a silver lining for the BJP as it is the only seat among Kerala's 20 Lok Sabha constituencies where it has been the runner-up in the last two elections, pushing the CPI(M) to the third place. Looking at a much-needed win from the state capital in the coming Lok Sabha polls, the BJP's central leaders have made several visits in the past, reviewing the development projects, welfare schemes and conducting outreach programmes.
Reacting to the development, Tharoor on Tuesday said Rajagopal might have changed his stand following the party’s intervention. “He is leading a sanyasi life. He does not have any political requirements from BJP or Congress. I am sure that people would decide. If the party allows me, I would contest again and seek votes. People will make the decision not based on Rajagopal’s words. When he contested against me in 2014, I had given him the respect due to a rival. He is very senior and he should be given that benefit,’’ he said.
The BJP has not officially commented on Rajagopal’s praise for Tharoor, but party sources said he came out with the explanation at the intervention of the party.
Rajagopal has embarrassed the party many times in the past. In November last year, when the BJP boycotted a CPI(M) government cultural extravaganza in the state capital, Rajagopal took part openly coming out against the boycott.
Ahead of 2021 Assembly elections, Rajagopal, then sitting legislator of Nemom, had made a similar prediction. Referring to BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan, who was fielded at Nemom, Rajagopal had said “Rajasekharan’s chances were dim”. The BJP finished second in Nemom.
