Will Shashi Tharoor become India's next vice-president?

Dubai: Shashi Tharoor as the next Vice-President of India? If so, does it mean a final parting for Tharoor and the party he currently represents, the Indian National Congress?

If the buzz on Indian social media channels – and talk within the country’s political circles – are anything to go by, Tharoor stands a good chance to be elevated to the role of ‘second citizen’.

The speculation comes as the incumbent VP of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar surprised all by announcing late last night (July 21) that he’s stepping down from the role.

A new candidate must be elected within the next 60 days, according to the rules.

Tharoor’s name is reportedly high on the list of possible names to replace Dhankhar, with a decision expected soon.

Now, even before Dhankar made the surprise move – he’s stepping down because of health issues – Tharoor had been mooted as a possible ‘future’ VP of the country. Now that future is likely to happen a lot sooner, if all the speculation is based on facts.

Tharoor is currently a Member of Parliament from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala, having won a narrow victory in the 2024 elections. But what he has been doing in recent weeks is what’s fueling the fevered speculation about Tharoor as the next VP pick.

Tharoor has been one of the more vocal proponents of India’s stance on ‘Operation Sindoor’ in trips to the US and elsewhere. And that's brought him visibly closer to the BJP government - and sharing quite the rapport with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

None of which has gone down well within the Congress party, which did not even bother to name him as part of the country's delegation to the US to explain 'Operation Sindoor'.

In recent days, senior Congress MPs from Kerala have been quite upfront in showing their displeasure with Tahroor and his 'closeness' to Modi and the central government. And the Kerala unit of the Congress has even spoken about keeping him away from all party sponsored events.

Now, if Tharoor does get named as VP - even without the Congress backing him - the BJP and its allies have the numbers to get him elected. For Tharoor, will this be the natural progression in a career that's already seen its share of highlight?

The guessing game continues.