Determined not to let infighting ruin the Congress's Kerala prospects in the Assembly polls next year, party leader Rahul Gandhi put up a picture of party leaders in the southern state and said they "stand as one" and are "united by the light of purpose ahead". Among the leaders in the picture is Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, who has been at the centre of a row within the Congress's Kerala unit for a couple of weeks.
A former Union Minister and four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor made headlines last month when he praised the start-up boom in Kerala, currently ruled by the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). When the remarks sparked a row, Mr Tharoor clarified that he did not praise the CPM government but merely highlighted the state's progress in the start-up sector.
The CPM, however, latched on to the remarks and said they had debunked the Congress's propaganda against the LDF government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Mr Tharoor's statements are based on facts. "It is about Kerala, not about any political party or government. All Keralites should feel proud of our growth amidst heavy odds. There is no need to give any political colour to his words," he said.
The state Congress unit responded strongly and said Mr Tharoor should not betray the expectations of the thousands of party workers ahead of the local body polls. Veekshanam Daily, Congress's mouthpiece in Kerala, published an editorial that said that the Congress had been opposing shortcomings of the LDF government inside and outside the Assembly and it would be "suicidal" to weaken the party from within.
Before this row could die down, another uproar erupted over Mr Tharoor's remarks in a Malayalam podcast with The Indian Express. His remarks on having multiple options to spend his time were misconstrued as a hint that he was exploring options politically. The senior Congress leader contested another remark attributed to him, decrying the absence of a leader In Kerala Congress. Mr Tharoor said he had made no such remark.
Amid the row, Kerala Congress chief K Sudhakaran said Mr Tharoor's statements were likely meant to strengthen the party. "As KPCC president, I will do my best to address any concerns and bring necessary corrections to the party's functioning," he said, asserting that he would stand by the senior leader.
The row formed the backdrop of the Kerala Congress strategy meeting in Delhi that was attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal. Mr Sudhakaran, Congress Legislature Party leader in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, Mr Tharoor and AICC in-charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi were also present.
Mr Gandhi, it is learnt, said at the meeting that leaders should be very careful about the political strategy and should not do or say anything that does not follow the party line.
After the meeting, Ms Dasmunshi said, "We got a clear indication from our high command that the Congress is very much connected with the people of Kerala emotionally and politically. People are looking for a change, so we should not do anything that will disrespect the people of Kerala. This was a clear indication and if anyone (says) anything personally, we will take strong action. Because we have no right to disrespect the people of Kerala."
She stressed that the party stands united. "The media is giving a wrong impression that there is no unity in the Congress in Kerala, which is untrue. Everyone here has expressed strongly against the LDF and the BJP. The leaders are strongly united and they will speak in a univocal voice," she said.
According to sources, the party leadership did not seek any clarification from Mr Tharoor as he has already explained the misinterpretation of his remarks.
In a post on X after the meeting, Mr Tharoor said, "A good meeting of Kerala Congress leaders today with Congress president Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Deepa Dasmunshi ended in a strong affirmation of party unity as we head into the election season."
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