New Delhi. Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and Shashi Tharoor’s ‘Kerala Yatra’ are at the center of discussions amid the political tussle over the Chief Minister’s chair in Congress bastion Rajasthan. After increasing activism of Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in Kerala, a crisis seems to be brewing in front of the party. Discussions about the ‘Tharoor faction’ are intense in the South Indian state. Here, on behalf of the All India Congress Committee, Tharoor has also been advised to obey the state committee.
Let us tell you that recently the post of President was elected by Congress in which both Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge were included as candidates. Tharoor has recently embarked on a four-day tour of North Kerala. It is being said that outside his area, Tharoor has gone on a tour alone for the first time. Now there are reports that the state leadership has also come into active mode regarding this tour. Tharoor’s session was dropped from the Youth Congress programme. His supporters in the state, K Muraleedharan, are calling it a conspiracy. He believes that Tharoor being active is troubling those in Congress who are hoping for the post of CM.
Is Shashi Tharoor really the chief ministerial candidate?
Shashi Tharoor’s visit to Kerala tells a lot amidst the ongoing confusion over the Chief Minister’s chair. Ever since the election of the Congress president, discussions about Tharoor had intensified in political circles. He himself was garnering support for the post, but lost the election to Mallikarjun Kharge. Muraleedharan says that this may cause trouble to those who aspire to the post. I have no problem, because I have no such desire. Regarding the Youth Congress, the senior leader said that due to some pressure their program was cancelled. Muraleedharan said, “I know what it is, but I will not talk about it in public as it is an internal party matter.”
Let us tell you that at this time the Congress high command has not objected to the political activities of the Thiruvananthapuram MP. According to media reports, Tharoor’s supporters in Kerala are being called ‘Tharoor faction’. Speculation is rife that the Congress here is divided into factions of powerful leaders.
According to some media reports, Shashi Tharoor said, ‘Some people are saying that this (his visit) is a divisive strategy or factionalism. We do not intend to form any faction nor are we interested in it. Congress is already full of ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups and now there is no need to add letters like ‘O’ and ‘V’. In Kerala, the ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups have been active in the Congress party since the time of Karunakaran and AK Antony, both former chief ministers. Significantly, at present Congress is facing political crisis in Rajasthan, in such a situation it would not want to face another political crisis in Kerala.