KOTTAYAM/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There may not be any senior political leader from the state in his favour, but support is swelling for Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on social media and on the ground alike as he takes on party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge for the top Congress post.
Tharoor’s tweets and posts on Twitter and Facebook are being lapped up by supporters, most of them youth, ever since he announced his candidature. And on Saturday, a Congress ward committee in Kerala came out with a unanimous resolution in the MP’s favour, even as the party top brass here back Kharge, who is presumed to be the official candidate of the Gandhi family.
“I see a positive groundswell in my favour, not only in Kerala but across the country. This is sure to reflect on October 17,” Tharoor told TNIE. But the support, though welcome, is not enough to win Tharoor the AICC chief post.
For neither the public nor the committees can vote in the election. His supporters know this. “We fully understand that we do not have a role in this election. However, leaders who praise booth-level workers during elections should see this,” read out the resolution passed by Congress’ Thottakkad ward committee in senior leader Oommen Chandy’s Puthuppally assembly constituency.
On Saturday, six flex boards also appeared in Pala, where the party has been fighting for existence for decades owing to the domination of Kerala Congress (M). They read: “For the safety of Congress, for the virtue of the nation, let Tharoor come.”
A Congress worker, who did not want to be named, said there is no doubt that party workers at the grassroots are badly wishing for a change in the party. “Tharoor stands for that change. No matter what the leaders say, he will definitely win a good number of votes. Congress workers have not surrendered their thoughts to anyone. None in the party wishes to let Congress proceed in its present condition,” said the worker.
‘Marginalised alienated from Tharoor’
From Kerala, Congress has 320 votes in the election, of which 21 are from Kottayam. Though leaders who can vote are afraid to disclose their stand in public fearing the wrath of the leadership, many are covertly supporting Tharoor. As for social media, Tharoor’s posts are inundated with comments urging him to bring in a “much-needed change” to the grand old party.
His hashtag #ThinkTomorrowThinkTharoor has created quite the buzz and highlights his strategy to connect with grassroots workers, instead of relying on top brass for support. Tharoor has also improved his communication skills in Malayalam and Hindi. However, social commentator and veteran journalist B R P Bhaskar says communication skills are not enough for a leader to excel in politics.
“Tharoor is able to connect with youths as well as the middle and upper middle-class through his social media campaign. However, the marginalised sections are definitely alienated from him. There are already doubts on how will he be able to connect with people in the Hindi heartland.
Congress has a long history and its rank and file from the lower strata of society has immense faith in the Gandhi family,” he said. Social commentator A Jayasankar said youths and educated class had endorsed Tharoor in his three LS outings and this is now being repeated in social media too.