Shashi Tharoor at a crossroads: Will he walk away from India's Congress party?

Shashi Tharoor, four time member of parliament of India from Thiruvananthapuram is angry and hurt and on the brink of doing what was earlier unthinkable - leaving the Congress party and exploring the “options” he has.

Tharoor has been under repeated fire from the Kerala unit of the Congress party for his praise of the Left LDF government’s handling of the economy. However, this seems a mere pretext as the same bunch of leaders repeatedly complain about Tharoor and ask for disciplinary action.

Speaking to me exclusively Tharoor said “ was signalling my willingness to accept an opportunity to transform and improve Kerala for the better. I am among  many whose wish is to make Kerala better for all its people, where all get to enjoy the benefits of the prosperity that we wish to work for, irrespective of our political ideologies. Today we have a Kerala that young people are fleeing at the first opportunity. I would like to work for and contribute towards creating a Kerala where the young will stay and thrive.”

Significantly, this comes after a long meeting Tharoor had with former Congress President, Rahul Gandhi who still calls all the shots in the Congress party. An observer who was privy to some of what transpired at the meeting told me exclusively that “while Gandhi was pleasant and courteous he was not receptive to Tharoor asking for a bigger role in the Kerala scheme of things in the party”.

Tharoor ran in the election for Congress president and lost to current incumbent Malikaarjun Kharge and has had a rocky run of it since then being virtually frozen out of the leadership stakes.

When I asked him about what transpired at the meeting with Gandhi Tharoor refused to reveal any details saying he was not going to talk about a private closed door meeting with another person.

Tharoor an icon for aspirational India has had many offers from the BJP to join the party and the palace coterie around the Gandhi family repeatedly keeps seeding suspicion about him leaving the Congress for greener pastures. Tharoor got in to controversy when he also took a measured view of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit earlier this month to the United States and his meeting with United States, President, Donald Trump and praised Modi for the outcomes.

Sources sympathetic to Tharoor say that at this point he’s virtually only in the Congress because it would so much happiness to the Congress leaders who desire him leaving. A senior leader who is a sympathetic observer of Tharoor’s politics says that if he was Tharoor he would start exploring his options since there was so little to be gained from staying on this path. “Where has Tharoor’s loyalty got him. He was approached by the BJP repeatedly and didn’t take up the offers. He stayed while others made much of by the Gandhi family left”.

Tharoor is a workaholic leader who literally works 24/7 this does not sit well with the Kerala Congress leaders who says a source close to him “are lifers in politics having done nothing else. They have never been able to figure out Shashi and just want to force him out” says the source close to him.

A senior leader points out “some in the Congress almost want to force him out of the party they might get their wish Tharoor is an asset at both the Kerala as well as the national level. He did politics the hard way contesting Lok Sabha elections. And, has an international public profile.”.
Tharoor says that “polls show he’s ahead in the Kerala 2026 stakes and the Congress party should use that.” He is now prepared to cross the rubicon and “if not utilised do this own thing”.

This is bad news for the Congress as Tharoor has a brand value and name recognition few leaders can boast about in the party today. Sonia Gandhi recognised that when she inducted him into the party and a ministerial berth in the Manmohan Singh led United Progressive Alliance government. Under Rahul Gandhi Tharoor has found the going made uncomfortable for him. Sources close to Tharoor blame Gandhi’s “closed and rigid mindset”.
With Tharoor on the brink of parting from the Congress it will be considered a huge loss and cause a huge political tempest. Sadly the Congress party leadership couldn’t seem to care less.