Shashi Tharoor vs Rajeev Chandrasekhar: Will India see its first election debate soon?

Almost three weeks from now — on 26 April — the constituency of Thiruvananthapuram will go to the polls during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. This constituency in Kerala is being closely watched, as it will witness a mouth-watering contest between Congress’ Shashi Tharoor and the BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

And what makes this electoral battle even more interesting is the likelihood of both the articulate and well-spoken leaders participating in what could very well be India’s first election debate.

The Congress MP, who has represented Thiruvananthapuram three times, accepted the Union minister’s challenge of a debate, saying a debate on issues concerning the constituency would be welcomed.

As hopes increase that this debate does take place — both the leaders are known for their command over the language and speaking succinctly — we take a closer look at the history of debates in politics and how it may benefit voters.

A Tharoor vs Chandrasekhar showdown

As campaigning picks up pace across the country for the general elections , the Union minister of state for information technology and skill development, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is contesting the polls for the first time, was quoted telling local media, “I am prepared to engage in a debate [with Shashi Tharoor] regarding ideas, development, and whose track stands stronger. This stance of mine has been consistent from the outset.”

Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now.

Let us debate politics and development.

Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism and the BJP's 10 years of propagating politics of hatred.… pic.twitter.com/cJTHX5DC7G

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 7, 2024

Tharoor promptly accepted Chandrasekhar’s challenge, saying that voters in the constituency know who has been evading a debate.

“Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development,” Tharoor wrote in a post on X. “Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism, and the BJP’s 10 years of propagating politics of hatred. Let us also discuss about the development of Thiruvananthapuram and the visible progress we have made in last 15 years,” he added.

The BJP is in hopes that Chandrasekhar can unseat Tharoor from the Thiruvananthapuram seat. The move is also seen as the BJP’s southern push . The ruling party has been unable to create inroads in the South. In the previous election of 2019, the BJP won 29 of the 129 seats in the region, none coming from Kerala.

However, pundits also note that it won’t be an easy task for Tharoor to retain his seat. He not only faces voter fatigue but also there are rumblings about his limited contributions in the constituency. G Gopa Kumar, senior political scientist and noted psephologist, told IndiaToday, “Tharoor has been representing the constituency for 15 years. His limited contributions to the improvement of the constituency is a matter of serious discussion and controversy. Anti-incumbency operates against him.

Poll pundits note that if the two leaders do actually engage in a debate, it will be the first in India’s history.

Leaders challenge each other for a debate

While this is the first time that such a challenge — for leaders to debate — has been accepted — it’s not the first such instance. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi had challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a debate on the issues of corruption, foreign policy and national security. While unveiling the Congress manifesto, Gandhi had then said, “Mr Narendra Modi is hiding. Mr Narendra Modi is scared. Mr Narendra Modi does not want a real debate. I challenge Mr Narendra Modi to a debate on national security, foreign policy and corruption. Why is he scared?”

Prior to that, in 2023, during the Rajasthan Assembly elections, then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had challenged the former BJP chief minister Vasudhara Raje for a debate.

And even amid this election cycle, AIADMK’s Palaniswami has dared DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin for a debate on achievements of their respective governments. “I shall come wherever you desire. Try seeking votes with your achievements at the debate instead of peddling lies about AIADMK,” said the former Tamil Nadu chief minister.

In 2020, Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had challenged Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to a debate on his governance record. “I challenge Nitish Kumar to debate with me on any of his achievement in last 15 years. We should start this new tradition as democracy was first established in Bihar’s Vaishali. There should be a debate between chief minister candidates,” Yadav had said while issuing the challenge.

History of election debates

Notably, other countries do have a history of such events. In fact, according to Debates International, a global resource on candidate debates maintained by the American non-profit organisation National Democratic Institute, 76 countries hold such debate to elect national leaders.

Perhaps, one of the most well-known countries having a debate is the United States of America. It was in 1858 that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas participated in what is widely considered to be the first “presidential” debates — even though they took place two years before the men were actually running for president.

The modern practice of a televised debate came in 1960 between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy. While Nixon had initially thought that the debate would favour him, the visuals did not play in Nixon’s favour, as he was seen sweating and looking pale after previously being hospitalised for an infection, while Kennedy looked young and gave a more vigorous performance. In fact, some noted that it was Nixon’s appearance at the debate that led to his loss in the subsequent polls.

Since then, the US has presidential debates before each election. Interestingly, the first presidential debate in 2016 between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton has been the most viewed one in US history, clocking in with a whopping 84 million viewers.

The UK began televised debates in 2010 with broadcasters reaching an agreement with party leaders, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Nick Clegg. In 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out taking part in television debates. With the UK expected to go to polls this year, Labour party leader Keir Starmer has agreed to participate in a televised debate.

Countries like Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico have their own practice of a televised debate between candidates, even though they don’t attract as much attention as the US one.

Importance of leader debates

If Tharoor and Chandrasekhar do participate in a debate, what purpose would it serve? Political experts note that such debates help voters understand the candidates’ position on different topics. Debates help put the major contenders on the same stage and allow voters the opportunity to see how candidates explain – and defend – their policy positions, reports The Conversation.

Scholars note that there’s evidence that debates play important roles in the political system. For instance, The Conversation reports that communication scholar Steven Chaffee has shown how debates can influence an individual’s vote when the candidate is relatively unknown, when many voters are undecided and when the race is neck-to-neck.

Debates, according to scholars, also helps in reducing the cynicism that a common man may have in the electoral process and improve the level of trust and confidence in politicians.

However, newer studies have revealed contrasting results. A 2019 study, which analysed the influence of 56 TV debates on 31 elections in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and three other countries found that debates neither helped undecided voters to make up their mind nor caused those who had already made a decision to switch candidates.

While it can’t be said for certain if debates do influence voters, it will be interesting to see how Tharoor and Chandrasekhar battle each other during the political debate and determine their stance on various topics.

With inputs from agencies