New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor finds himself at the centre of a political storm following his strong criticism of the 1975 Emergency and subtle nod to public preference for his name as Kerala CM in a recent survey. His comments have stirred internal backlash from Congress leaders and sparked speculation over his future within the party.
“Mimicry is Cute in Birds, Not in Politics”: Tagore Slams Tharoor
Tharoor’s article in Malayalam daily Deepika — later posted in English — termed the Emergency as a dark chapter in Indian democracy and highlighted the “cruelty” inflicted on the poor by policies spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, particularly forced sterilizations.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore reacted sharply on X (formerly Twitter):
“When a colleague starts repeating BJP lines word for word, you begin to wonder — is the bird becoming a parrot?”
Kerala Congress Voices Discontent Over CM Survey
Back in Tharoor’s home state of Kerala, where Assembly elections are due in 2026, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan questioned Tharoor’s loyalty after he shared a private poll suggesting he is the most preferred CM candidate among Congress-led UDF leaders.
“He should first decide which party he belongs to,” said Muraleedharan, further fueling intra-party tensions.
The 28.3% popularity rating for Tharoor, according to the private survey, has triggered discomfort within the party ranks, especially amid pre-election alignments.
BJP Seizes Opportunity: “Emergency Mindset Still Exists”
The BJP wasted no time in responding.
Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Congress of maintaining the same mindset that led to the Emergency, while mocking the delayed realization of its wrongs by party members like Tharoor.
“Even after 50 years, Congress continues to shamelessly support the mindset behind the Emergency,” Trivedi said.
He also linked Tharoor’s remarks to Rahul Gandhi’s protest in Bihar against electoral roll revisions, calling it a symptom of Congress’s selective faith in constitutional institutions.
Operation Sindoor and Growing Disconnect with Central Leadership
Tharoor, a four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has previously drawn flak for his praise of PM Modi’s foreign policy, measured tone on RSS, and participation in the Operation Sindoor outreach initiated by the Modi government.
Sources within Congress say Tharoor’s inclusion in the foreign delegation without party nomination had ruffled feathers. His Congress presidential bid in 2022, where he lost to Mallikarjun Kharge, had already marked him as a semi-outsider to the Gandhi camp.
Conclusion: Congress Crossroads or Personal Realignment?
As Kerala heads into a high-stakes Assembly election in 2026 and the Congress navigates internal fissures post-Lok Sabha 2024, Shashi Tharoor’s role remains uncertain. Will he emerge as a reformist voice within the Congress, or is a political realignment on the cards?
Only time — and perhaps Tharoor’s next tweet — will tell.