On Friday, the Congress high command held a meeting of senior Kerala leaders ahead of the crucial assembly elections scheduled in the state in a few months. Prominent Kerala leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor was conspicuously absent. Tharoor later stated that he had informed the high command in advance about his unavailability, which party sources confirmed.
However, the situation was not straightforward. On the same day, Tharoor was seen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Thiruvananthapuram at a programme. He explained that he could not leave his parliamentary constituency while the Prime Minister was visiting, noting that Modi was in Kerala solely for BJP election programmes. The BJP recently won the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation elections and will have its first Mayor in the southernmost city.
The BJP currently holds limited stakes in Kerala, though it is making a concentrated push this time. In the 2024 General Elections, the BJP won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat with 16.8 per cent of votes and led in eleven assembly segments. It narrowly lost the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, where Tharoor defeated Rajeev Chandrasekhar by a margin of 16,077 votes.
Tharoor is seen as aligning with the BJP’s interests in Kerala. While maintaining that he is and will remain with the Congress, he has often praised Prime Minister Modi on international issues, despite the party’s criticism. He recently acknowledged having certain issues with the party, which he intends to discuss privately with the leadership.
The Congress has largely overlooked Tharoor’s “off the party track” stance and has not taken any disciplinary action. He has not been issued notices, unlike the standard practice for party members who dissent. In Tharoor’s case, the Congress has adopted a relatively liberal approach.
Tensions intensified during a recent party programme in Kochi. Tharoor, scheduled to speak second-last before Rahul Gandhi, was bypassed; several other leaders spoke after him. This was seen as a clear signal regarding his standing within the party hierarchy.
With the Congress seeking to consolidate its prospects in Kerala, where it is considered the favourite, Tharoor could have been a Chief Ministerial candidate. The Congress won 18 of the 20 parliamentary seats in 2024 and almost swept recent local body elections. The Kochi incident, however, made it clear that he is not in the reckoning.
Also read: Tharoor admits 'differences' with Congress
Tharoor also faces competition from KC Venugopal, the all-powerful general secretary in charge of organisation, who wields significant influence at the national level and plays a key role in appointing Chief Ministers.
From time to time, Tharoor has extended an olive branch to the BJP, which has reciprocated. However, given the BJP’s limited reach in Kerala, it would be impractical for him to shift allegiance. He could be projected as a Chief Ministerial candidate by the BJP, but the party currently lacks electoral viability in the state.
The Congress leadership also shows little inclination to accommodate Tharoor. He has been elected to Parliament four consecutive times since 2009 after his United Nations tenure, serving his fourth term as MP from Thiruvananthapuram. In a city now showing BJP strength, Tharoor’s personal appeal enabled him to win, defeating the party’s opposition, which could not have achieved the same success.
Tharoor’s “soft rebellion” is not new. He contested the party presidential election against Mallikarjun Kharge, supported by the “first family,” and was part of the ‘G-23’ group seeking leadership change. His list of divergences from the party line is long, yet he has been given a wide berth.
At present, reconciliation between Tharoor and the Congress seems unlikely. The party believes Tharoor does not have overwhelming influence in Kerala, which is largely accurate. The Congress enjoys strong electoral prospects due to a decade-long anti-incumbency against the Left Front.
This situation represents a direct confrontation between Tharoor and the party. Observers suggest he may seek suspension or expulsion to take the moral high ground, remaining outside the party while claiming he did not leave it, and avoiding the need to resign and re-contest, as expulsion exempts him from anti-defection laws. The Congress is aware of this and has refrained from action, also avoiding negative optics as the state prepares for elections. The situation is likely to remain unresolved unless Tharoor initiates some move himself.
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