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What Tharoor's political outreach would mean for Congress in Kerala

But when Tharoor managed to secure 1072 votes in this contest against Mallikarjun Kharge, it was KC Venugopal who was shocked. It was at this juncture Tharoor decided not to leave any stone unturned, knowing well that KC Venugopal has been working against his rise in the party writes ETV Bharat's Biju Gopinath.

What Tharoor's political outreach would mean for Congress in Kerala
What Tharoor's political outreach would mean for Congress in Kerala
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Published : Nov 26, 2022, 10:02 PM IST

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is now on a whirlwind tour of Kerala, shaking the confidence of many senior Congress leaders and infusing a fresh lease of hope among the constituents of the United Democratic Front, who are not shying away from showing their love and reception to Tharoor. Many believe that Shashi Tharoor may recreate the magic that Naveen Patnaik managed to pull off in Odisha.

Opposition leader V D Satheeshan is the one most affected by the reception given to Tharoor. Satheeshan was explicit in his criticism against the tour of Tharoor in Kerala, telling him directly that no one should be violating the party discipline.

However, he does not get any open support in his stand against Tharoor, on the contrary, Tharoor was given wide acceptance, both among the cadres and even among the major constituents of UDF.

What worried the likes of VD Satheeshan is the rousing welcome the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) gave to Tharoor. IUML leaders invited Tharoor to Panakad, the religious and political headquarters of IUML, and extended a warm welcome. The church, another major supporter of UDF's policies, was also happy to welcome Tharoor. The UDF constituents, who are worried about sitting out of power for 10 consecutive years, want a vibrant leadership at the helm of affairs to bring UDF back to power in Kerala and they are willing to rally behind Tharoor.

Tharoor is also unfazed by the opposition from a section of Congress leaders. He is now trying to checkmate VD Satheeshan by selecting Satheeshan's constituency for his tour. Tharoor will be the chief guest in the program organized by the State Professional Congress at Kochi. On December 3, he will also be participating in a program organized by Youth Congress.

Tharoor, throughout his tour, reiterated that all he is doing now is for the party and its cadres. He also has been meticulous in selecting the places he wanted to visit during his tour. He visited the Congress workers who were arrested during the protests against Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor in prison. Tharoor's visit comes at a time when there is criticism over Youth Congress state president Shafi Parambil for not paying a visit to the arrested Congress workers and instead enjoying the World Cup in Qatar.

Tharoor is aiming to replace KC Venugopal

The state Congress leaders and party cadres generally have been accusing KC Venugopal of trying to impose his likes and dislikes in Kerala using his proximity to Rahul Gandhi. They are also convinced that KC Venugopal was the one who worked against Tharoor getting any key posts in the Parliament, despite him being a Member of Parliament twice. Many had expected Tharoor to become the Parliamentary party leader when Congress sat in the opposition after the 2019 elections.

When a good orator like Tharoor was expected to lead the party in the House, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, Congress MP from West Bengal was selected for the post. In Kerala, Tharoor is not even a member of the political affairs committee of the party.

Also Read: 'How can his activities be construed as sectarian?' asks 'irritated' Tharoor

The G-23 leaders, among whom Tharoor was a prominent face, are of the opinion that KC Venugopal's lack of organizational skills and knowledge about the Hindi heartland were among the reasons for the poor performance of Congress at the national level.

Tharoor expected that the party leadership would support him to be the party president when Ashok Gehlot withdrew from the race. However, he was sidelined there as well. But when Tharoor managed to secure 1072 votes in this contest against Mallikarjun Kharge, it was KC Venugopal who was shocked. It was at this juncture Tharoor decided not to leave any stone unturned, knowing well that KC Venugopal has been working against his rise in the party.

KC Venugopal used VD Satheeshan to nip Tharoor's efforts in the bud but that backfired and Satheeshan was knocked out in the first round itself. Tharoor continued his meticulously planned political tour, weaving along the dissatisfied, power-savvy constituents of the UDF and also the party cadre who liked to see a change in the way the party is led in Kerala.

What shocked the anti-Tharoor faction most is the welcome accorded by IUML to Tharoor. Congress had opposed IUML hosting Tharoor. But the second largest party in the UDF brushed aside the opposition of the Congress leadership and welcomed Tharoor. The IUML has been accusing Congress for not using Tharoor properly at the national level, as he was known for his strong anti-BJP stand.

The Pala Bishop also has agreed to meet up with Tharoor. He would also be meeting the Kanhirapally Bishop and had met the Thamarassery Bishop already during his tour in Kozhikode. The Thamarassery Bishop openly expressed his opinion that Tharoor's elevation to the party leadership would be beneficial for Congress.

When Church expresses its support openly, the Kerala Congress (J), another ally of the UDF cannot keep away from supporting Tharoor. The State Congress leadership received another jolt when the Nair Service Society (NSS), a traditional pro-UDF organization welcomed Tharoor to share the dais on the occasion of the Mannam Memorial function. This assumed significance time when the general secretary of NSS, Sukumaran Nair criticized opposition leader VD Satheeshan in harsh terms in his constituency recently.

Political observers opine that if Tharoor is handed over the mantle of leadership of Congress in Kerala, it is expected to have a positive impact on the party as youths, students, and professionals, who are either party cadres or sympathizers will rally behind him.

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