The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday remarked on the rumours of a rift between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress, saying that the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s “marginalisation was inevitable” since he decided to contest the party’s presidential elections against Mallikarjun Kharge in 2022.
“Shashi Tharoor’s marginalisation in the Congress was inevitable after he dared to contest the party’s presidential election against Mallikarjun Kharge, a nominee of the Gandhi family,” BJP IT chief Amit Malviya wrote on X.
Malviya claimed that Tharoor’s “downsizing” would have been swifter and more conspicuous if not for his high public profile.
“His downsizing would have been swifter and more conspicuous if not for his high public profile. The Congress, after all, is nothing but a proprietorship firm of the Gandhis,” he wrote.
Reports of a rift between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress party emerged after the MP spoke about the “positive outcomes” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US and lauded Kerala’s startup economy under the ruling LDF alliance in a newspaper article.
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After his remarks, Tharoor held a meeting with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, the details of which were not disclosed.
On Sunday, Tharoor further fuelled speculation about his future with the party after he said that the Kerala Congress unit lacks a “leader” and warned that it risks a third consecutive term in Opposition unless it broadens its appeal beyond its core voter base.
In a podcast with The Indian Express, Tharoor said that he was available for the party if it needed him. But if it did not need his services, Tharoor said he had other “options” like books, speeches and invitations to address gatherings around the world.
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Following this, Congress state president K Sudhakaran warned Tharoor not to cross the limits. “I have always supported Tharoor, but he must not cross limits. I will tell him that. I called him a few times, but I could not reach him,” he said.
However, Congress’ Ramesh Chennithala noted that Tharoor’s interview was recorded before he met Rahul Gandhi. “I understand he (Tharoor) gave the interview before he met Rahul Gandhi. I do not wish to react to it,” the former leader of the opposition in Kerala said.