Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 7 (IANS): NDA candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday took a dig at his Congress opponent Shashi Tharoor, saying contesting elections is not about being a global citizen or impressing people with mastery of English, but about addressing the people's pressing needs and effecting positive change in their lives.

"My mission is to propel the development of Thiruvananthapuram, which has been stagnating for several years, in reverse mode. Thiruvananthapuram wants progress, development, employment, and investment. This can be achieved through the politics of performance," he said while addressing a meeting of his voters in the state capital city.

The Union Minister contended that for the past 15 years, there has been a "continuous effort to distract the public from serious developmental issues by focusing on trivial matters and falsehoods" and urged people to stay away from such negative politics.

"I entered politics 18 years ago with the sole aim of making a positive impact on people’s lives. There are still many households in Thiruvananthapuram which lack access to safe drinking water and gas connections that should be available under the Ujwal Yojana subsidy. These needs should no longer be just on paper. I have taken it upon myself as a mission to transform their lives. Working under the Narendra Modi government, I am committed to doing just that," he said.

"I have come here with a mandate to make a difference by attracting investments and fostering development in Thiruvananthapuram. My mantra is the politics of performance. We need innovation, development, employment, and investment. I have a clear vision for this, and I am ready to show you the results. My mission is to implement it. As the son of an IAF officer, my foremost priority is to serve the nation and make India proud until my last breath," said Chandrasekhar, who is also pitted against former Thiruvananthapuram MP Pannyan Raveendran, of the CPI.