Congress MP Shashi Tharoor indicated that the upcoming 2024 contest from Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha polls may be his last outing on the field, while also advocating providing opportunities to the younger generation to fight elections. Tharoor, however, said that there is no finality about it since it is politics.
"I do believe that at some point, the time comes to make room for younger people. And that's my thinking", he said while talking to the reporters on the sidelines of a Congress programme on Thursday (December 28).
"Never say never"
In the same breath, he said, "In politics, there is another slogan which is 'never say never'".
He was responding to a question on his remarks in a recent TV show in which he repeatedly said that the next year’s general elections may mark his final contest from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
"I didn't say never, I said I think it will be my last election," Tharoor clarified.
He said that if he contests polls from the constituency, he would fight it as though it were his last election, in full spirits, and delivering his best for the people.
Tharoor's political career
Shashi Tharoor entered politics a decade ago and won an emphatic victory in the 2009 general elections, securing the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala to enter the Parliament for the first time.
In his first electoral battle, Tharoor triumphed over his closest CPI rival P Ramachandran Nair by a substantial margin of over 95,000 votes.
Tharoor has been undefeated on the seat with victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Before beginning his political career, Tharoor worked with the United Nations, and in 2006 represented India as the official candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General, finishing in second place out of seven candidates in the race.
(With PTI inputs)
