THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor rejected Congress MP Hibi Eden's proposal to shift the state capital from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi. Tharoor while talking to a private news channel, said that it was Hibi's personal demand. He said that it was not political intelligence that Hibi showed on the issue and that there was political strategy seeking Center’s stand on the private bill.

‘Anyone can submit a private bill. However, there was no such discussion in the Congress. When tabled a bill for allocation of high court benches in Thiruvananthapuram, the Centre did not seek the state's stand on the matter, but the centre sought a stand on Hibi Eden's private bill. It seems mischievous.

The capital city should never be in the middle. According to Hibi's logic, the national capital should be in Nagpur instead of New Delhi. Tharoor said that a place becomes a capital after taking into account many things including history.

In reply to the letter sent by the Centre, the state has clarified their disagreement on the private bill introduced by Hibi Eden. The assessment of the Left Front is that Hibi Eden's bill is a political decision of the Congress. It may be used as a propaganda weapon in the southern region in many things including elections. As the seats in the southern districts are crucial, there is a doubt that the bill would be a villain for the Congress.