Thiruvananthapuram was my first choice when PM gave the option to contest: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Amid the perception that Union Minister of State for IT and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar opted to contest the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency as he did not get any winnable seats in Karnataka, the technocrat-turned-politician says that Thiruvananthapuram was his first choice when Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered him the option to either continue as a Rajya Sabha MP or contest to Lok Sabha polls.

Chandrasekhar, who is way ahead in his campaign in Thiruvananthapuram, said in an interview to DH's Arjun Raghunath that the opposition parties were raking up the CAA and Manipur issues to deviate attention from their lack of development initiatives.

After a long term as Rajya Sabha member you are seeking people's mandate. How do you feel?

Even though it is the maiden contest for me, I had been very much involved in many election works of BJP leaders like Ananth Kumar in Bengaluru. Hence, I don't feel contesting the Lok Sabha election as something new. 

Why did you opt for Thiruvananthapuram?

It was in August 2023 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave me the option of either continuing as a Rajya Sabha member or move on to the Lok Sabha. I myself opted to contest to the Lok Sabha. By January 2024, the PM asked which seat I would like to contest from and I said Thiruvananthapuram as it is the capital of my state, Kerala. I consider it an honour. There were even discussions that I should contest from safe seats in Bengaluru. 

But you seemed to be quite unfamiliar to Malayalis despite your Kerala roots. Do you feel so while campaigning?

It is only a silly political thing that some body is an outsider or insider. People know me very well as I generated many jobs and made considerable investments here like the first cellular network here. I have been a minister for quite some time. I may be an outsider only with regard to my political culture. My political culture is politics of performance, which is different from that of other contestants.

Will your much-hyped assurances like making Thiruvananthapuram an IT hub realise only if you win the election?

I consider my decision to contest from Thiruvananthapuram as a mission for the region's development. When Technopark came up in Thiruvananthapuram in early 1990s, states like Karnataka did not even think of such projects. But now Thiruvananthapuram is lagging behind. There is much scope for developing even suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram as IT hubs by bringing companies like Apple. I am also preparing a vision document for Thiruvananthapuram with the help of eminent personalities like former ambassador T P Sreenivasan by collecting feedback from people. It will be my contract on what I will do in Thiruvananthapuram in five years. If I am elected, it will be easier for me to make these assurances materialise.

Do you think that the CAA and Manipur issue would affect your victory chances?

The Congress and other opposition parties are raking up the Manipur and CAA issues and trying to create a scare. It is their bid to deviate attention from their lack of development initiatives over the years. I am trying to address the genuine issues of the people like the pitiable condition of the people living along the coastal areas which the Congress and Left Front did not resolve yet.