Union Minister and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar filed his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary constituency in Kerala on Thursday. He was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

During a roadshow earlier, Chandrashekhar said, “It’s a significant step toward serving my city. I am optimistic about the support and good wishes of the people. They seek change and effective representation.”

Chandrashekhar expressed confidence that the people of Thiruvananthapuram would support him. A large number of BJP supporters and party members gathered for the roadshow.

Thiruvananthapuram is set to witness a ‘three-cornered fight’ in the upcoming elections, with the BJP, Congress, and Left parties in the fray. Chandrashekhar is the BJP’s representative, while CPI leader Pannyan Raveendran and the incumbent MP Shashi Tharoor are contesting from the Left and Congress, respectively.

The BJP has struggled able to win a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. In the assembly polls, the party achieved victory only once in 2016, securing a win from Nemam in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the South Indian state across all 20 seats is scheduled for April 26, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4.

(Inputs from ANI)