Congress's Kerala conundrum: Shashi Tharoor rubs it in with 'selfie message'

NEW DELHI: Is Shashi Tharoor on his way out of the Congress or is he just flexing his muscles for a greater role in

Kerala Congress

keeping in mind the assembly elections in the state next year? Well, any answers to this at present would only be a guess. But what we know for sure is that the Thiruvananthapuram MP will not give in without a fight - either way.
Tharoor, who is already in the middle of a political storm triggered by his "perceived praise" for rivals, seems undeterred by the criticism within the party. Ever since the controversy erupted,

Tharoor

has not just defended his remarks but has also reinforced his viewpoint.
On Tuesday, the senior Congress leader posted a selfie with Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal and the UK's secretary of state for business and trade Jonathan Reynolds and welcomed the revival of long-stalled India-UK FTA negotiations.
"Good to exchange words with Jonathan Reynolds, Britain's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the company of his Indian counterpart, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal," he said of their meeting at an event on Monday. "The long-stalled FTA (Free Trade Agreement) negotiations have been revived, which is most welcome," Tharoor said on X.

While on the face of it there is nothing wrong in Tharoor posting a selfie with a BJP Union minister or for that matter praising the revival of India-UK talks, more so as he chairs the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs. But the fact that this comes from someone who is already under party fire for praising the positives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US trip and highlighting the progress of start-up sector in Kerala ruled by the LDF government, shows that the Congress leader is in no mood to buckle.
The Congress MP, who had earlier defended his remarks and said that when something good emerges, it is petty not to acknowledge it, has used his posts on X to convey a message to his critics within the party.
On February 24, Tharoor had tagged a news report titled "Left, BJP and Congress share stage during Kerala's investors' meet" and posted "Good to see this. Economic development should, as far as possible, be above the petty divisions of party politics."
On February 22, Tharoor had a cryptic message for his baiters when he posted a Thomas Gray quote as thought for the day on his timeline - "Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise." The message here was loud and clear.

On February 16, Tharoor had posted a long note countering the critics who were targeting him for praising the Left Front government in Kerala. Stating that he was bemused by the raging controversy in Kerala over his article, Tharoor said the article did not mention party politics, but spoke of things Kerala needs to do to get out of the economic doldrums — changes that he has been demanding in the state during all his 16 years in politics.

Tharoor is known to fight his battles against all odds. His contest for the post of Congress president against Mallikarjun Kharge is a case in point. The BJP claims the Gandhis have sidelined him within the Congress for taking on "their nominee" in the 2022 party elections. Tharoor, on his part, has been vocal about the changes that the party needs to revive from its political slump and cites his four consecutive Lok Sabha wins to prove his point.
The Congress, on the other hand, will need to do a tightrope walk as it tries to find a solution to this conundrum. The party, which has already lost several leaders in the last 10 years, would not want to lose another one and give the BJP a handle to attack its leadership. But it can also not give in completely to Tharoor's demands and antagonize the state leadership. With assembly elections due in Kerala next year, the Congress will need to handle the Tharoor challenge deftly.