Thiruvananthapuram (PTI) Contesting an election and winning it by a thumping majority was an exhilarating, as well as a humbling experience, according to Shashi Tharoor, former UN diplomat, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram.

"The majority of about one lakh votes was beyond my expectations, though I have throughout been confident of victory with a comfortable margin. But, as my margin kept on soaring as the counting progressed, I sincerely felt it would be coming down in the next phase", a relaxed Mr. Tharoor told a meet-the-press here on Monday.

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"Winning an election is a great experience. At the same time, I felt humbled by the trust and affection reposed on me by the people," said Mr. Tharoor, who contested on a Congress ticket.

Mr. Tharoor said his assessment was that two factors contributed to his victory. In the first place, voters were looking for a change. Secondly, they might have seen in his candidature a person who could focus on issues of development rather than indulging in mere sloganeering.

He said his efforts would now be to strive for the development of the state capital by "knocking on every door and thumping every desk in New Delhi for that."