Shashi Tharoor flags 'leadership void' in Kerala Cong amid LDF praise row

Facing flak over his praise for LDF government, Shashi Tharoor rejected rumours about him switching parties ahead of 2026 Kerala Assembly polls

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has pointed at the "absence of a leader" in the party's Kerala unit, seeming to project himself as a suitable option to citing his appeal among the non-traditional voter base. The remarks come as Tharoor faces heat within the party for praising the ruling Left front government in Kerala.

 

In an interview with The Indian Express, the four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP underlined the need for the Congress to expand its base to attract new voters. Citing his own example, Tharoor said, "My appeal in Thiruvananthapuram is much more than what the party enjoys. People like the way I talk and behave. Even those who are generally against the Congress voted for me. That’s what we want in 2026 (next Kerala Assembly elections)."

 

 

Citing some opinion polls by independent organisations, Tharoor said he was ahead of the others in leadership stakes in Kerala. “If the party wants to use that, I will be there for the party. If not, I have my own things to do. You should not think that I have no other option. I have my books, speeches, invitations from across the world to give a talk,” he said.

 

However, he rejected rumours about him switching parties ahead of 2026 Kerala Assembly polls. “I don’t think it will be the right thing to do. One has the freedom to be outside the party, stay as an independent.” But, he quickly added: “What I see in today’s politics is that everyone wants a party or organisation to back you.”

 

Row over Tharoor's praise for LDF government

 

Last week, Tharoor, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), wrote an article in an English daily, where he praised Kerala's entrepreneurial growth under the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. His remarks were not well received by the Congress and its United Democratic Front (UDF) partners, who questioned the basis of his claims.

 

Later, Tharoor clarified that his article contained no political references and that his focus was solely on Kerala's entrepreneurial growth. "I wrote the article based on the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024, which stated that Kerala attracted an investment of 1.7 billion US Dollars within 18 months. If anyone challenges the accuracy of this fact, I will relay it to those who published the report," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.

 

The UDF strongly flayed Tharoor, accusing him of "overlooking" the industrial sector's achievements during its tenure in the state. UDF convener MM Hasan stated that Tharoor should resign from the CWC if he wishes to express views that contradict the party and the front's stance.

 

Veekshanam Daily, Congress party's mouthpiece in Kerala, also published an editorial criticising Tharoor without naming him. The editorial stated that an anti-incumbency wave was prevalent in the state and that attempts to suppress it by those responsible for fuelling it represented a "distorted" political practice.

 

The Congress leadership, however, downplayed the incident, saying that party members have absolute freedom of speech. "The Indian National Congress is our country's only political party where there is absolute freedom of speech as well as freedom after speech. Members give their views on issues that are, on occasion, their own and that do not reflect the opinion of the party as a collective entity. It is the party's stance that is paramount," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

 

Kerala Congress chief K Sudhakaran stated that he had spoken directly to Tharoor and gave him "good advice."

 

"Individuals can have their own opinions, but the party decides its official stance," Sudhakaran said.  (With inputs from agencies)