Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has averted a possible crisis in the party by inviting Shashi Tharoor and calming some party members’ nerves over the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s article praising the LDF government’s achievements in changing the investment climate in Kerala. Tharoor’s article—published on this page last week—had kicked off a political storm in the state. Rumours and conspiracy theories had started swirling. When the CPI(M) and BJP extended welcoming hands towards Tharoor, the former UN diplomat became the focal point of all political discussions in the state.
Tharoor, who has often aired views independent of the party line, praised Kerala’s entrepreneurial growth under the LDF government, citing an international report. While the LDF went to town with the article, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, Congress’s V D Satheesan, went on an offensive. He was followed by a bevy of local leaders, some of whom even called for Tharoor’s removal from the Congress Working Committee. Tharoor, however, continued to stand by the article and challenged his critics to prove him wrong. Even as the arguments continued, there was a section within the party who felt the controversy could have been avoided. A senior leader even said it is the Congress that needs Tharoor, not the other way round. They knew well that the party could ill afford to lose a popular leader like Tharoor. A third consecutive term in the opposition will be devastating for the Kerala Congress. Luckily for the party, Rahul Gandhi realised this and acted swiftly.
The Congress has one of its strongest vote bases in Kerala despite having a weak organisational structure. The central leadership must turn the Tharoor episode into an opportunity to clear things up in the state unit. It must be used to make the party more inclusive if it does not want to lose more cadres to the CPI(M) and BJP. Unlike the other two parties, the lack of a rigid structure within the Congress fosters a sense of freedom of expression. This spirit of openness must be protected at all costs. Leaders should realise that politics is not just about hurling accusations. True democratic spirit lies beyond pettiness.