KOCHI: The statement issued by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance on the Russia - Ukraine war has gladdened the state BJP leadership. The party expects the statement to further deepen the discontent in the Congress ahead of the state assembly elections which is due in 2026.
During an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, Shashi Tharoor had said that he is still wiping the egg off his face because he had criticised Modi’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war during a parliamentary debate in 2022.
In response to Tharoor’s statement, BJP state president K Surendran wrote on X, “Dear Shashi Tharoor Ji, I have always admired your candour. Your honesty in saying ‘I opposed it initially’ and now praising Modiplomacy’s success on Russia - Ukraine is commendable. Unlike your INC peers, you see India’s global rise under PM Narendra Modi ji, truly a refreshing take!”
“We don’t see it as a shift in Tharoor’s approach towards the BJP. He has been known for taking a stand different from the Congress leadership. Through such statements he is trying to garner support beyond the support base of the Congress,” said a senior BJP leader.
He further said, “Tharoor had earlier stated that support from non-Congress voters had helped him win the Lok Sabha election from Thiruvananthapuram constituency. Rajeev Chandrasekhar has managed to increase the BJP vote share this time and Tharoor’s statement is aimed at appeasing the non-BJP voters who voted for Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The BJP expects Tharoor’s frequent statements supporting the Union government to confuse the Congress rank and file. This will trigger an internal churn within the state Congress which is witnessing a tug-of-war among the CM post aspirants within the party.
“We will wait for his next move. The BJP does not expect Tharoor to join the party. However, if he expresses willingness, I don’t think the national leadership will ignore him. Last time there were some discussions, but it did not materialise as he was not interested in joining the BJP. We don’t think he has changed his mind,” said the BJP leader.