india

Updated: Apr 16, 2019 10:41 IST

Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram candidate Shashi Tharoor, who is recovering at a hospital after a freak accident, had an unexpected visitor early Tuesday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on a campaign trip to Kerala, dropped in to see the MP who was injured during a religious ceremony on Monday.

“Touched by the gesture of @nsitharaman, who dropped by today morning to visit me in the hospital, amid her hectic electioneering in Kerala. Civility is a rare virtue in Indian politics - great to see her practice it by example!”, Tharoor tweeted from his hospital bed.

The Congress leader also received a call from Left Democratic Front (LDF) leader C Divakaran who had a piece of advice for him.

“Very gracious of my LDF rival C.Divakaran to call this morning to express concern about my well-being. Said he had spoken to the Hospital Superintendent to assure himself I would be ok. “Don’t be demoralised”, he added. I’m not: I’m more determined than ever to see this through!,” Tharoor tweeted

As part of Thulabharam -- a religious ritual where offering equivalent to one’s weight is made to the deity -- the Congress candidate was sitting on weighing scales, to be weighed against sugar, when it collapsed injuring his head.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP was rushed to a general hospital where he received six stitches on his head. Tharoor is seeking a third term from Thiruvananthapuram, which goes to polls on April 23. He is locked in a keen contest with BJP candidate and former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan.