Shashi Tharoor joins birthday celebration of Sreesanth's daughter

Thiruvananthapuram: It was a perfect photo-op on Monday when political rivalry took a backseat at the first birthday celebrations of cricketer-turned-politician S. Sreesanth's daughter.

Sreesanth is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate here for the upcoming assembly election. But that did not deter Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor from attending the celebrations at Sreesanth's rented flat in the city.

"Sreesanth always called me for all events in his family, but I just could not make it then. Now we both are in the same city, I am here," Tharoor said.

Sreesanth's family members, close friends and a few selected invitees were present at the birthday celebration.

Sreesanth, who is otherwise busy campaigning for the assembly election, said: "I just took a few hours' break from campaigning to be with my daughter to celebrate the event."

Sreesanth has been a surprise choice for the assembly election here. Instead of being fielded from his home district Ernakulam, the former cricketer has been fielded from Thiruvananthapuram by the BJP. He is pitted against Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar of the Congress and Antony Raju, who recently left Kerala Congress (M) to launch his own party.