Performance Vs Non-Performance: BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar Takes A Jibe On His Contest With Shashi Tharoor

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the people of Thiruvananthapuram know whether he is a familiar face in the constituency and that it would become clear when the results of the polls are out.

New Delhi: BJP Lok Sabha poll candidate and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday took a swipe at senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, his opponent in the Thiruvananthapuram seat, saying the fight would be between politics of performance and 15 years of non-performance. 

While speaking to PTI, Chandrasekhar mentioned that the people of Thiruvananthapuram know well about this, and he expressed confidence that it would reflect in the election results, reported PTI.

"Certainly, people are sensible. They know what is the politics of performance, who represents the politics of performance, and who represents 15 years of non-performance", Chandrasekhar said. 

Notably,Tharoor has been representing Thiruvananthapuram for the past 15 years in the Lok Sabha. 

In the electoral contest for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology, and Jal Shakti, Chandrasekhar finds himself pitted against Congress-led UDF's incumbent MP Shashi Tharoor and Pannian Raveendran of the CPI(M)-led LDF.

Chandrasekhar refrained from characterising the electoral contest in Thiruvananthapuram as a mere clash between individuals. Instead, he believed that the outcome would reflect the collective choice of the electorate, aiming to propel the country's developmental trajectory from the past decade into the next five years, as per PTI.

"This is not a fight between Tharoor and NDA. I do not think this is about some personality. I do not think this is about English-speaking skills or whatever", he said, in a taunt at his Congress rival who is renowned for his eloquence.

 "Reducing the election to a fight between personalities goes against understanding the pulse of the people. These elections are about continuing the last 10 years of progress, continuing the last 10 years' trajectory into the next five years", he reiterated. 

Accusing the UPA government of being entirely inactive during its tenure, Chandrasekhar asserted that India has experienced significant transformation under Prime Minister Modi's leadership over the past decade. He claimed that prior to 2014, India was perceived as the most fragile economy, unable to complete infrastructure projects on time or within budget, and experienced minimal growth.

However, he argued that under the Modi government, India has risen to become the fifth-largest economy globally and is now regarded as one of the most respected democracies worldwide.

We Are Moving Forward To Becoming The Third-Largest Economy In The World: Rajeev Chandrasekhar 

"We are moving forward to becoming the third-largest economy in the world, and we have brought governance and a politics of performance to the centre-stage in our country, in every corner of our country, in a way that has never been done before", he said. 

Chandrasekhar leveled accusations against the opposition, alleging a dearth of vision and characterising their unity as a coalition of corrupt politicians driven solely by the objective of unseating Narendra Modi.

He said that the people of Thiruvananthapuram know whether he is a familiar face in the constituency and that it would become evident when the results of the elections are out.

"I do not have to say it. You do not have to say it. People certainly know it", Chandrasekhar said.