Senior Congress Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor is sort of the darling of the center courses. He’s charming, effectively spoken, erudite, a talented debator and has a felicity with the English language that he makes use of to nice impact by throwing round prolonged, completely unpronounceable phrases that no-one understands.
But, regardless of his extensively acknowledged skills, or possibly due to them, Tharoor stands at a crossroads in his political profession right now, not sure of which route to absorb case he reaches a dead-end with no solution to get again.
The Ruling Trio
His occasion’s ruling clique in his residence state of Kerala, the trio of highly effective AICC basic secretary and Rahul Gandhi confidante Ok.C. Venugopal, chief of opposition within the legislative meeting V.D. Satheeshan, and man for all seasons Ramesh Chennithala, is unwilling to cede area in state politics to him.
On the nationwide degree, Rahul Gandhi’s obsession with caste leaves little room for English-speaking elites as he scouts for OBCs, Dalits and tribals to craft a brand new Congress of, for and by the marginalised.
The hazard of being deemed irrelevant is actual and imminent on this situation. It is usually unacceptable for Tharoor, who has grown used to being within the limelight after a meteoric rise in politics regardless of being an outsider. He rapidly turned a star with a ministership as well through the UPA years beneath the guardianship of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi.
Rebel In The Ranks?
At 68, Tharoor appears satisfied he has sufficient years of lively public life left in him to go down and not using a combat. He fired the primary salvo with artful timing, boasting of “choices'” if the Congress had no use for his companies.
His rebellious noises couldn’t have come at a extra inopportune second for the occasion. Meeting polls are due in Kerala early subsequent 12 months. It is an election the Congress not solely hopes to, however desperately must win to shake off the ‘loser’ tag it has acquired after a string of defeats in current state ballots.
Tharoor doesn’t have the stature of Congress greats in Kerala like Ok. Karunakaran and even A.Ok. Antony. Nonetheless, he’s a four-time MP from Thiruvanthapuram with sufficient of a nationwide profile to make headlines each time he opens his mouth.
The Congress can hardly afford dissonance in its ranks on the eve of a vital election. Nor can it take care of restlessness in its parliamentary occasion. It has simply 99 members within the Lok Sabha, a quantity it reached with nice problem after humiliating scores in two elections.
It’s already going through the wrath of its INDIA companions who’ve been heaping contempt on the Congress for its dismal efficiency in meeting elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand final 12 months and in Delhi this 12 months.
Is Congress Listening?
Tharoor’s warring strikes had their affect. Rahul Gandhi summoned him to Delhi for a gathering that Tharoor had been searching for for months however was denied. It was a one-on-one assembly, so reviews are sketchy. However Tharoor is believed to have positioned his playing cards on the desk and requested for a extra significant position within the occasion, both in Kerala or in Parliament or within the AICC.
It’s telling that Tharoor has not been allowed to take part in any main debate in Parliament, which is his acknowledged forte. He’s mentioned to have been eager to talk within the dialogue on the Structure. Nonetheless, that privilege was given to Manish Tiwari as an alternative.
Rahul Gandhi was fairly noncommittal with Tharoor however the truth that the latter determined to attend the scheduled assembly of Kerala leaders in New Delhi to debate future methods within the poll-bound state is a sign that he’s nonetheless hopeful of discovering area within the Congress.
The LDF-UDF Query
Though Tharoor talked of “choices” within the podcast that has gone viral, he appears to be in two minds about performing on them. Commmunist Get together of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) chief Isaac Thomas has mentioned that Tharoor can be welcome within the ruling Left Democratic Entrance (LDF) alliance. However Tharoor would solely be a small fish in a giant pond in a celebration swarming with bold leaders.
In any case, there is no such thing as a assure that the LDF will win a 3rd time period in workplace in Kerala and supply Tharoor a ministerial berth. The state is locked in revolving door politics with the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led United Democratic Entrance (UDF) alternating governments for the previous many many years.
The LDF’s second consecutive victory in 2020 was an entire shock and got here on the again of a break up within the UDF, which performed arduous ball with the Mani faction of the Kerala Congress and just about compelled an necessary ally into the arms of the CPI(M). A major part of the Christian vote loyal to the Kerala Congress abandoned the UDF and helped the LDF coast to victory.
BJP Could Be Impractical
There are additionally feelers from the BJP, which is making a determined push for a breakthrough in Kerala. Nonetheless, most observers really feel that the BJP has an extended solution to go earlier than it could hope to win the state. Inducting Tharoor into the BJP or becoming a member of arms with a regional occasion headed by him can, at finest, eat into Congress votes and probably assist the LDF to win a 3rd successive election.
The most effective that Tharoor can hope for on this scenario is to be rewarded with a ministerial portfolio within the Modi authorities. However he could need to be content material with a downsized profile like one other Congress renegade, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has all however vanished from the general public radar besides when the BJP excessive command desires to benefit from the spectacle of an erstwhile royal sparring with a political dynast (Rahul Gandhi).
Weighing All ‘Choices’
Tharoor craves the highlight. So he should be weighing his “choices” very fastidiously, lest he jumps from the frying pan into the hearth. In response to well-placed sources who’ve some inkling of what’s going on in his thoughts, Tharoor is in contact with one other senior Congress MP from Kerala, M.Ok. Raghavan, who apparently additionally resents the trio lording it over the state unit. Evidently after an extended dialogue, they’ve determined to attend and watch until the panchayat elections are held six months from now. Tharoor should hope that the native polls will point out which approach the political winds are blowing within the state and assist him to make up his thoughts about his future plan of action.
In any case, he will surely not wish to go the best way of Karunakaran who left the Congress to type his personal occasion. Regardless of his stature, recognition and political astuteness, his occasion flopped and Karunakaran light into historical past.
(The creator is a senior Delhi-based journalist)
Disclaimer: These are the private opinions of the creator
