BJP's Olympic Ambitions for Thiruvananthapuram Spark Political Backlash

The BJP's manifesto promise of making Thiruvananthapuram a co-host city for the 2036 Olympics has been met with skepticism by LDF and UDF leaders. They criticized it as a fake claim, given that Ahmedabad is India's proposed main host while the International Olympic Committee hasn't finalized the 2036 host city.

The BJP's recent local body election manifesto in Kerala, promising to develop Thiruvananthapuram as a co-host city for the 2036 Olympics, has ignited a political uproar. Leaders from LDF and UDF have dismissed this claim as deceptive, arguing that the International Olympic Committee is yet to announce the host city for the event.

Education Minister V Sivankutty and other critics highlighted that India's bid centers around Ahmedabad as the main city, making the BJP's promise on Thiruvananthapuram baseless. The minister accused BJP of misleading voters with unrealistic promises to gain political leverage in the upcoming corporation polls.

Responding to the allegations, state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar insisted that party opponents would soon understand the proposal's viability. With elections scheduled for December, the BJP remains a key opposition party, stirring debates over development promises.

(With inputs from agencies.)