BJP's O Rajagopal backtracks after predicting Tharoor's continuity as Thiruvananthapuram MP

Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal has backtracked just a few hours after declaring that the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency was likely to stick with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Speaking at a ceremony where Tharoor was presented with an award named after late journalist N Ramachandran, Rajagopal had said: "As a native of Palakkad, when he first contested from Thiruvananthapuram I was doubtful. In the United Nations, he was most capable of representing India. He speaks so beautifully in English," Rajagopal said of Tharoor.

"But, remarkably, he has managed to influence the minds of the people of Thiruvananthapuram and that is why he wins again and again from Thiruvananthapuram. I'm doubtful if anyone else will get a chance (to win) in the near future," the veteran BJP man had said.

Moved by the generous words, Tharoor bowed and touched the feet of Rajagopal.

However, a few hours later, Rajagopal, posted on Facebook that his comments had been misconstrued and they were merely a figure of speech.

Rajagopal said that all he meant was to highlight Tharoor being a native of Palakkad. "Moreover, his chances will be adversely affected by the fact that his presence in the constituency is nominal," Rajagopal wrote on Facebook.

"My view and political stance is that the BJP will win in Thiruvananthapuram," he added before elaborating that it would require the hard work of the party workers "under the exceptional governance of the Narendra Modi government".

Rajagopal was the first and, to date the only, BJP MLA from Kerala. He reached the state assembly from the Nemom constituency in 2016.

Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D K Shivakumar presented the award to Tharoor.