Sreesanth: 'Will defeat Tharoor in 2024 polls from Thiruvananthapuram'

Cricketer S Sreesanth hinted at contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala on a BJP ticket. In a recent interview with a leading newspaper, Sreesanth expressed confidence over defeating Congress leader and present Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on contesting the 2024 General elections on BJP ticket. The pacer asserted that while he is a fan of the Congress leader, he would defeat him from the constituency. 

“I am a huge fan of his as a person who had stood by me but I will defeat him in the elections in Thiruvananthapuram. No doubt about it,” the pacer said(sic). 

Notably, Sreesanth has joined the BJP party in March 2016, following which he contested Kerala Assembly elections from Thiruvananthapuram. However, he lost the elections to VS Sivakumar of the Congress by 11,710 votes. The cricketer had secured a total of 34,764 votes in the assembly elections. Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been the Parliamentary representative for Thiruvananthapuram since 2009. 

READ | Sreesanth to return in 2020, ban reduced by BCCI Ombudsman

Interestingly, in March 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Sreesanth had visited Shashi Tharoor at his residence. Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader had regarded Sreesanth as one of the best bowlers India has produced and a proud icon of Kerala. He further expressed happiness over the ban on the cricketer to have been revoked. Tharoor went on to wish Sreesanth success for the wickets in his life. 

READ | Sreesanth spills the beans on his hatred for Chennai Super Kings

Sreesanth to return in 2020

Meanwhile, the tainted Indian pacer is all set to return to the game in 2020 after BCCI Ombudsman D K Jain ordered to reduce his ban for alleged spot-fixing in August. The BCCI Ombudsman observed that the cricketer is well past his prime having already served six years. The BCCI banned the 36-year-old cricketer for life in August 2013 along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan for indulging in alleged spot-fixing in the IPL of that year.

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