NEW DELHI: Even as senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is trying to keep his fortunes afloat in his home turf Kerala, his party colleagues say that the top leadership’s cold-shouldering made the MP shift his focus to the southern state.
The exclusion of Tharoor from the star campaigner list of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh hasn’t gone down well with the MP and several other leaders in the party. After being left out of the first list of Congress’ star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, Tharoor’s name was missing from the second list of star campaigners as well, which was announced on Saturday.
A senior Congress leader and a Lok Sabha MP close to Tharoor, told The New Indian Express on the condition of anonymity, that the Thiruvananthapuram MP is unhappy with the developments and guarded in his response. He feels that he needs to be treated with dignity and respect.He said that the party cannot shun the leaders who participated in the elections in a democratic way.
“Instead of being accommodative and inclusive, if the party is trying to corner Tharoor, it won’t be good. By doing this, the leadership is weakening the party. You cannot push people who participated in a democratic process to the brink. We all are watching,” he said.
At least four senior Congress leaders echoed his view. However, AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar told this newspaper that it’s the Congress president’s prerogative to decide the star campaigners. “We cannot compel the leadership to include anyone,” he said. The purpose of the president poll was to strengthen the party and by sidelining Tharoor, the party is dishonoring the delegates, who voted for him, felt the leader.
“Tharoor had repeatedly said that he would be walking hand-in-hand with Kharge and it should be appreciated. All of us are committed to strengthening the party. Some leaders who are threatened by his growth are behind this move,” said another leader, adding that the coterie of the Gandhi family is still calling the shots.
On his home turf too, Tharoor is facing hostile leadership. The three-time MP, who began his North Kerala tour on Sunday, has received lukewarm response from several DCCs, though state leadership denied any gag order.
Another Congress Lok Sabha MP, who rooted for Kharge in the presidential race, said that the party should have used Tharoor’s popularity, charisma, and oratory skills in the electioneering for Gujarat, which will vote on December 1 and 5.