THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP is planning to field ISRO Chairman S. Somanath from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The successful launch of Chandrayaan and the repeated success in space ventures have towered S Somanath's fame across India, especially in his hometown of Thiruvananthapuram. BJP thus reckons Somanath as the apt candidate to create an upset in the congress bastion. Congress leader Sashi Tharoor will be contesting for the fourth time from the same constituency.

Somanath was one of the chief guests at the Prana Pratishtha ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Temple and his candidature was discussed by a high-level committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

According to reports, Somanath has no objection to contesting the high-profile battle from Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier, union ministers Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman were considered for this constituency by BJPP top brass.

Thiruvananthapuram is considered a hotspot for BJP and if played right, the capital city will turn saffron in a canter. In 2009 and 2014, BJP candidate O Rajagopal lost only by a narrow margin to Congress leader Sashi Tharoor. Tharoor, who has been undefeated since 2009, will face the biggest test of his political career if Somanath is made the BJP candidate.

Somanath, who was supposed to retire from service in July 2023, was appointed ISRO chairman for three years from January 2022. His current term will end in January next year. If he wins the election and the BJP comes to power, the odds suggest Somanath to be the next Union Minister in PM Modi's third term at office.