Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 25 (IANS) Four-time Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, who has been in the news – and his party’s radar – for the past week for praising PM Narendra Modi’s US visit and also Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s governance, on Tuesday ignited speculation after sharing a photo with Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
For his party in Kerala, both PM Modi and CM Vijayan are persona non grata and no sooner than his praise came, it was all a free-for-all from state leaders. Sensing trouble, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi called up Tharoor and the two had a rendezvous in Delhi, but even after that when an interview of Tharoor appeared in a national daily, it set off a new row.
As news surfaced that the party high command has summoned senior party leaders from Kerala, including Tharoor, for a meeting later this week, speculation began to swirl again. However, a top Congress leader pointed out the meeting has nothing to do with Tharoor, and is instead to do with getting ready to face the upcoming local body polls and the roadmap to it.
But on Tuesday when the media caught up with Tharoor to speak about the interview that appeared in the national daily, just the other day after his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor, just remarked: “This interview was given before the meeting” and drove away.
And then, he shared a photo on X with a visiting British Minister and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Goyal.
“Good to exchange words with Jonathan Reynolds, Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the company of his Indian counterpart, Commerce & Industry Minister @PiyushGoyal. The long-stalled FTA negotiations have been revived, which is most welcome,” he posted.
The post sparked off speculation not just among the party, but even among common people, if Tharoor will continue in the Congress.
There is some speculation that Tharoor has been upset with the state unit of the party, ever since he drew hushed comments when he unsuccessfully contested for the post of Congress President and the differences have only increased.
Ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, a colleague of Tharoor had quipped that even when many senior party members with several years of party work had to wait with their CVs for several days for a meeting with the party high command in 2009, “a well dressed ‘man’ flew down from the US, was given a red carpet welcome at 10 Janpath, and in a few minutes, he walked out after meeting the then party President Sonia Gandhi with the ticket to contest the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Thiruvananthapuram”.
The well-dressed man was none other than Tharoor.
Incidentally, the present Congress state President K.Sudhakaran, who made his Lok Sabha debut along with Tharoor, when asked about Tharoor and his performance, had said: “We are not fluent either in English and know very little Hindi, but when Tharoor stands to speak in the Lok Sabha, the entire house sits in rapt attention to hear what he says.”.
After 16 years without a break, the popularity of Tharoor has only increased generally, but reportedly not among his fellow party leaders, be it in Kerala or Delhi and that’s why Tharoor is said to be unhappy.
A political observer said Tharoor is an asset for any party and it’s only natural all will want him but then the ball is in his court now and the Congress will be the biggest loser if he leaves.
“All along the Congress party high command doesn’t want any challengers to them… they see Tharoor as one and hence all the noise is heard now,” the observer said.
–IANS
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