THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Making it clear that he is shifting his base to Kerala, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is all set to kick off his four-day Malabar tour on Sunday. The yatra, in which the Thiruvananthapuram MP, will meet the IUML leadership and an array of other stakeholders, including the Nair Service Society, has sent shock waves through the state Congress leadership.
Tharoor, who was sidelined by the Congress national leadership in the first round of organisational revamp, has the blessing of the IUML which feels that the MP’s entry into Kerala politics will keep the UDF in good stead in the imminent Lok Sabha elections. IUML MLA Manjalamkuzhi Ali said Tharoor’s plan to concentrate in his home state will boost the chances of the front and Congress. “Tharoor managed to win from Thiruvananthapuram three times due to the neutral votes he gained cutting across political affiliations. His visit to Malabar will energise youths in the region,” he said.
Tharoor, for the first time, had revealed his intention to switch to state politics to TNIE during the ‘Express Dialogues’ interaction.
Cong leaders worried about being eclipsed by Tharoor
On Thursday, Shashi Tharoor told TNIE that he has been getting several invitations from various organisations based in the Malabar region. However, he feigned ignorance about the fact that the state Congress leadership was clueless about his plans.
“As far as I am concerned, my programmes in Kerala are a continuation of my past routine engagements. I have been meeting people and have visited several places multiple times before. There is nothing new to it,” Tharoor said.
Meanwhile, the state Congress leaders are in a fix as most of them had openly opposed Tharoor in the AICC presidential election. Caught unawares, senior leaders of the party are worried that Tharoor’s presence in Kerala politics will eclipse the aspirations of many. The fact that he is having a breakfast meeting with IUML state president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and senior leader P K Kunhalikutty on Tuesday has also not gone down well with them.
A top State Congress leader did not hide his displeasure. “I am happy to see that Tharoor has returned from his US jaunt. When Sudhakaran spoke about Jawaharlal Nehru accommodating communal fascism, it snowballed into a major controversy. However, none said anything about Tharoor sharing a venue with top Sangh Parivar leaders like Vinay Sahasrabuddhe in Delhi,” said the leader.
Tharoor’s close confidant, Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan, who had openly supported the MP during the AICC presidential election, is the man behind the Malabar tour too.