NEW DELHI: Is Congress MP Shashi Tharoor trying to cock a snook at the party leadership or is the Thiruvananthapuram MP trying to convey a message to party leadership? Tharoor’s praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi – two times in the space of two days – has indeed left the Congress and Rahul Gandhi in an embarrassing spot with the BJP quick to take pot shots at the grand-old-party and its leadership.
On Tuesday, Tharoor had said that the country has actually a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president in Moscow – two weeks apart and be accepted in both places. He followed this up a day later by reiterating PM Modi’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue, Tharoor today said, “PM Modi has taken a consistent position that the solution to this conflict has to come through diplomacy. In fact, you may remember his statement in Samarkand in front of President Putin, where he said this is not an era of war and that solutions have been found peacefully. We do seem to be at the beginning of a peace process of some sort.”
As expected, the BJP was jubilant and quick to target the Congress leadership. “The knives would be out in the Congress after Tharoor’s remarks, which would likely leave leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi “red-faced”,” said BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya. The BJP leader later took another swipe and said: “Prime Minister Modi needs new haters … old ones are turning into his fans.” Another BJP leader Sambit Patra said: “Shashi Tharoor understands diplomacy, he had been in the UN for a very long time. He has appreciated PM Modi’s stand in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Other leaders of Congress should also learn from Shashi Tharoor instead of Speaking against PM Modi and the nation every time … Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should come forward and appreciate Shashi Tharoor’s stand.”
Rahul has been a vocal and perhaps one of the fiercest critics of Prime Minister Modi. The Congress has missed no opportunity to slam the policies of BJP-led NDA government. However, on the Ukraine war front, the former Congress president had in 2023 admitted that the opposition bloc understood India’s relations with Russia and had then said that he would, by and large, agree with the country’s position on the ongoing war in Ukraine.
When asked about his changed stand on the Russia-Ukraine war issue, Tharoor justified his position and said that he has made his opinion as a “Bharatheeyan” and he doesn’t see any politics in that. But the Congress is unlikely to buy this argument.
Why should Tharoor’s Modi praise worry the Congress?
It was in February this year that Shashi Tharoor had surprised his party with an out-of-turn praise for PM Modi’s US trip and his thumbs up to entrepreneurial growth in Kerala under the LDF government. Reports then claimed that Tharoor felt sidelined in the state Congress, despite winning his Lok Sabha seat four times in a row.
Tharoor’s remarks evoked strong reactions from the Congress which got into damage control mode. The Congress top brass met leaders from Kerala in Delhi for a brainstorming session. At the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge laid stress on discipline and a stern warning was given to the state leaders that strong action will be taken against those making comments that go against the party’s interests.
Later, the Congress claimed that all was “okay” in Kerala unit. Rahul Gandhi posted a picture from the Kerala leaders’ interaction with the media after the meeting and said on Facebook: “They stand as one, united by the light of purpose ahead.” His post was accompanied by the hashtag, “Team Kerala”.
The fact that Tharoor’s latest round of “PM praise” comes despite this unity exercise and party’s “stern warning” should indeed worry the Congress.
Assembly elections in Kerala due next year
Kerala goes to polls next year. It will be a high-stakes battle for the Congress, which failed to oust the LDF government in 2021. The CPM won 62 of the 140 seats in the assembly leaving behind the Congress, which could manage only 21.
The Congress in the state has a history of internal factionalism. Ahead of the elections next year, Tharoor perhaps wants a greater say in the party’s affairs in the state which the state Congress leaders may be resisting. Tharoor is no pushover in politics. His remarks in praise of PM Modi may perhaps be a message to the party leadership to ensure that he gets his rightful due in the state unit. It will be interesting to see how the Congress leadership finds the right balance between the state leaders. The grand-old-party would not want let factionalism adversely impact its poll prospects in the state.
