THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though leaders from all levels of the Congress in the state, including Wayanad MP and national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, campaigned for UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath in Nilambur, missing in action was its star face Shashi Tharoor.
Over the past 22 days -- from May 26 when the election was notified to June 17, the day the bypoll campaigning ended -- neither the state nor the national leadership of the party approached Tharoor to get him to be a part of the high-octane campaign in Nilambur, it is learnt.
Congress state president Sunny Joseph had this to say: “Shashi Tharoor did not come to Nilambur.”
Asked whether the party leadership had contacted Tharoor, Sunny said he failed to contact Tharoor despite attempts as he was on a foreign trip.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal told a television channel that though he expected Tharoor to be present for campaigning, he did not see him in Nilambur.
At the same time, leaders close to Tharoor said the Congress Working Committee member was never approached by either the state leadership or the candidate. The Nilambur by-election was declared amidst the tussle between Tharoor and the party’s national leadership over the NDA government’s decision to include him as the head of one of the all-party delegations that visited foreign countries. The Gandhi family, which does not have good relations with Tharoor, had objected to the government decision.
However, Tharoor openly accepted the government offer and the Congress too was forced to accept it.
“The leader of the opposition (V D Satheesan) claims that decisions are taken after discussions with senior leaders. But that isn’t the case when it comes to Tharoor,” a close associate of his told TNIE on condition of anonymity.
He said Tharoor returned to the country on June 10 and was ready to campaign in Nilambur though he had a programme to attend in London on June 12.
“Had either the Congress leadership or Aryadan Shoukath invited Tharoor, he would definitely have gone to Nilambur. But none contacted him. This tactic of ignoring him has been going on for some time,” he said.
Incidentally, Shoukath had a good relationship with Tharoor. The senior leader viewed Shoukath as a torchbearer of the legacy upheld by Mohammed Abdur Rahiman, who was the KPCC president in 1939, and Aryadan Mohammad as both were seen as nationalist Muslims.
Tharoor had also intervened when there were differences between Shoukath and V S Joy for Nilambur candidature, in favour of the former MLA.
“When the Congress’ state and district units stood against Shoukath for having organised pro-Palestine programmes, Tharoor had openly supported Shoukath. Tharoor was a mentor to Shoukath. However, after his candidature was decided, Shoukath did not contact Tharoor,” a KPCC office-bearer said.