Kerala: Tharoor down but not out

When the 20 seats of Kerala go to polls on Thursday, all eyes will be on capital Thiruvananthapuram. In 2009, 'imported candidate' Shashi Tharoor had contested and won the seat.

When the 20 seats of Kerala go to polls on Thursday, all eyes will be on capital Thiruvananthapuram.

In 2009, 'imported candidate' Shashi Tharoor had contested and won the seat.

Before his wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a Delhi hotel in January, the Congress leader was the frontrunner in Elections 2014.

The controversy surrounding her mysterious death gave opposition parties an opportunity to launch a scathing attack on Tharoor.

Posters have appeared in the state capital, questioning the mystery surrounding his wife's death.

An active Twitterati, Tharoor, has campaigned hard — both on the ground and on the social media. He is confident despite the series of attacks on him.

This time, Tharoor, a member of the Nair community, faces a tough triangular contest.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded former minister of state for railways O Rajagopal, also a Nair.

Thiruvananthapuram has more than 1.2 million voters. Nairs play a key role in deciding the outcome of the elections in the constituency.

The Communist Party of India has fielded Bennet Abraham, a Christian Nadar, another dominant community here.

Besides, the Aam Aadmi Party is also hoping to make an impact. It has fielded former IPS officer and diplomat Ajit Joy.