Disgruntled Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Makes His 'Kerala CM' Aspiration Clear, Says He Has 'Other Options'

Amid ongoing controversies over his praise for Kerala's Left government, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has once again criticised the party in the state, stating that there is an "absence of a leader in Kerala's Congress."

He also reiterated his aspiration for the Chief Minister's post, asserting that opinion polls conducted by independent organisations indicated he was leading in the leadership stakes in Kerala.

Photo Credit: PTI

"If the party wants to use that, I will be there for the party. If not, I have my own things to do. You should not think that I have no other option. I have my books, speeches, invitations from across the world to give a talk," Tharoor told The Indian Express in a podcast.

His remarks come as Congress leaders in Kerala openly express their displeasure over his past praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, more recently, for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.

However, Tharoor stated that several party workers believed there was a leadership vacuum in Kerala's Congress. He emphasised that the party must broaden its appeal in the state if it wishes to avoid remaining in opposition for a third consecutive term.

For the past four decades, power in Kerala has alternated between the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF. However, in 2021, the LDF broke this pattern and retained power for a second consecutive term.

Tharoor cautioned that the party could only secure victory at both the national and state levels with a committed vote base. He added that Congress would require an additional 26-27 per cent of votes to return to power. "If you look at the national level, the Congress vote was around 19%. Would we be fine with our own vote base? We need those who have not backed us in the last two elections," he remarked.

He also noted that his appeal in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency extended beyond the party's core voter base.