New Delhi, March 8: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor thanked the grand old party on Friday for the opportunity to 'defend his seat' after he was named candidate from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, a seat he has held for three terms. He further said that the "BJP is going to find it very tough to even repeat the 303 they had".

He also pointed to the leaders jumping the ship ahead of polls and said that leaders shifting to other parties doesn't mean that there is some conflict or confusion rather the "individuals have their own ambitions in politics." Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Rahul Gandhi Fielded Again From Kerala’s Wayanad As Congress Releases First List of Candidates for General Polls; Check Full List.

Shashi Tharoor Speaks on Lok Sabha Polls

"I am honoured and humbled that the Congress party has given an opportunity to defend my seat. I have had the privilege of serving the people of Thiruvananthapuram for 15 years and I look forward to an opportunity to continue this process of service once more," Shashi Tharoor said while addressing media after the party's announcement.

"The other two parties have announced their candidates, I have a great deal of respect for them and I look forward to a fair and effective contest and I look forward to the opportunities to debate with them the ideas and policies that I stand for," he said. He further asserted on engaging in 'constructive and positive politics' and informed that he will be travelling to his constituency on Sunday. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Gujarat: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Vows to Tackle Unemployment, Announces 'Apprenticeship ka Adhikar' Law (Watch Video).

"And I look forward very much to a constructive and focused campaign. In 15 years of politics, I have never needed to spend one day of negative campaigning or attacking anybody. I believe very much in constructive and positive politics," Tharoor said.

"We have to give the people a choice and in a democracy, at the end of the day people will decide that is exactly the spirit in which I'm entering the race. I will be travelling from Sunday to be full-time in my constituency," he said. "The BJP is going to find it very tough to even repeat the 303 they had. I'm convinced at this time the BJP is going to lose the government. I have not seen any evidence of that. In every election, there's always been somebody leaving some party and going to some other party. That doesn't mean that's conflict or confusion," he said.

"It means that individuals have their own ambitions in politics and they want to pursue them elsewhere. I don't see that BJP is immune from that either. Some people left the BJP also and went in other directions. These things happen. Certainly, those of us in the Congress party for the last few years have seen opportunities to serve the people and that's why we are in politics. That's what I'm doing in Thiruvananthapuram. I'm here to serve the people of my constituency," he added.

Earlier in the day, Congress released its first list of candidates for 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. The names have been announced for Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshwadeep, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Telangana and Tripura. Of the total 39 candidates announced, 16 are from Kerala, seven from Karnataka and six from Chhattisgarh, four from Telangana. Two from Meghalaya and one each from Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Lakshwadeep.

The list was released after the party held its Central Election Committee meeting on Thursday. A total of 16 candidates have been announced from Kerala, including Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram and Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad, seat he won in 2019.

Congress party's second Election Committee meeting will be held on March 11 in Delhi to discuss the candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The BJP has already released its first list of 195 candidates. The Lok Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May this year.