Amid his hectic poll campaign on Thursday morning, cricketer S Sreesanth, the BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, got a chance to aim for the stumps once again. Youngsters playing cricket on a ground at Arannoor invited the former Indian pacer to bowl when he passed by with BJP workers. He promptly said yes and joined them.
Cricket aside, Sreesanth’s day was filled with visits to markets, junctions and temples where festivals were being held. His day started off from the Connemara Market, Palayam, where it was all about snapping selfies, shaking hands and gifting smiles all around. A small crowd immediately gathered to catch a glimpse of BJP’s surprise candidate who is slated to take on Minister V S Sivakumar of the Congress, Antony Raju of the LDF and hotelier and bar owner Biju Ramesh of the AIADMK.
Clad in a white shirt with stoles in party colours around his neck, Sreesanth – who had more or less disappeared from the constituency after an initial appearance on March 27 – met the voters, shook hands with a lottery vendor and posed for a selfie with a young fan.
He also had breakfast with a party worker before travelling to the Yakshi Amman Temple, Althara. The campaign then shifted to Kannetumukku market, Jagathi and Edapazhanji junctions.
On his first visit as a candidate on March 27, Sreesanth had announced that he will bring his trademark aggression from the cricket field to politics. Reportedly, the central leadership’s decision to field Sreesanth as candidate in Thiruvananthapuram has not pleased local BJP workers.
On Thursday, Sreesanth also visited Kavilkadavu Devi Temple at Valiyasala, the Brahmana Sabha district office and the Palukalngara Devi Temple. “His campaign starts at 7 am and ends at 7 pm. There is a one-hour break for lunch,” Vijayan, a local BJP leader who accompanied the cricketer, said.