Thiruvananthapuram:
In Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is campaigning for next month's national election with a prayer and a series of visits to churches, temples and mosques.
Many would say the union minister doesn't need divine help; he won this constituency in 2009 with nearly 46 per cent of the votes.
But this time, a large section of voters from the Nair and Christian Nadar communities that dominate the constituency have strong alternatives to pick from - the Left's Bennett Abraham, and the BJP's O Rajagopal.
"I have been consistently working for the people. I am confident of my win, though no opposition should be taken lightly," Mr Tharoor told reporters.
In between his religious stops, he banishes any suggestion of caste or religion-based politics in a town where both are seen to be significant factors.
"I have not used the politics of religion and caste yet, neither do I intend to do so now," he asserts.
Mr Tharoor was last seen in these parts of the coastal town with the National Disaster Relief Force team last year, asking for a relief package from the Center after the severe tidal waves and sea erosion along the coast.
Since then, he has weathered personal tragedy. Two months ago, his wife Sunanda Tharoor was found dead in a hotel room in Delhi after a public showdown with a woman she suspected was having an affair with Mr Tharoor.
The minister has confronted vicious opposition attacks and on Tuesday, he threatened to file a complaint against a CPI leader for making a personal attack on him.
"These are desperate attempts of the LDF (Left Democratic Front). They have nothing left to counter my developmental work with," he said.
The Left's candidate, Bennett Abraham, is a medical college director who belongs to the Christian Nadar Community. His CPI hopes it will take away some Nadar votes from Mr Tharoor.
The candidate himself insists he is defined by his work, not caste. "It's not my fault that I was born in a poor Nadar family. I have served people for over 20 years and my social service qualifies me as an able candidate."
In another part of the city, BJP candidate O Rajagopal is also visiting churches and mosques. To put up a credible fight against Mr Tharoor, he is banking on his Nair roots, and a perceived wave in favour of his party's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.