What Shashi Tharoor said after Union minister's debate challenge
Congress's three-time Thiruvananthapuram MP, who's also renominated for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by the party, Shashi Tharoor, has accepted Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar's "challenge" for an open debate. Chandrasekhar had earlier told mediapersons, "I am ready to debate [with Tharoor] over ideas...whose track record is better. I have been saying this since the beginning." Tharoor responded to this in a social media post on Sunday saying, "Yes, I welcome a debate."
Why does this story matter?
The battle for the Thiruvananthapuram seat is a matter of prestige for both the Congress and the BJP. The BJP's decision to nominate Chandrasekhar underscores its emphasis on southern states, where it faced challenges in the 2019 elections, securing just 29 out of 129 seats across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Chandrasekhar—making his Lok Sabha debut—serves as the minister of state for information technology and skill development and is currently an MP in the Rajya Sabha.
Tharoor's challenge to Chandrasekhar
Taking a swipe at the BJP, Tharoor added that the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been avoiding a debate until now. He proposed several topics for discussion including "price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism," and what he perceives as the BJP's promotion of divisive politics over the past decade. Tharoor also asked Chandrasekhar to discuss the development of Thiruvanathapuram and the "visible progress we have made in last 15 years."
Read: Tharoor's post here
Election Commission receives complaints from both leaders
In addition to their verbal sparring, both leaders have lodged complaints against each other with the Election Commission of India (ECI). Chandrasekhar has accused Tharoor of implying that he offered cash for votes, an allegation Tharoor's team refutes. Conversely, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has lodged a complaint against Chandrasekhar, accusing him of submitting a false affidavit with his nomination papers.
