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With Kerala marching towards the Assembly elections of 2026, an age-old question comes back with fresh immediacy: Is the Congress party losing Shashi Tharoor, one of its most vocal, well-spoken, but contentious leaders?
The Thiruvananthapuram MP of Congress has traditionally straddled the line between being the party’s most international face and its most volatile voice. The recent cause of internal discontent was not a TV debate or an overseas forum, but a thought-provoking piece written by Tharoor on a topic Congress has struggled to keep in house: the Emergency of 1975.
Shashi Tharoor’s Emergency Remarks Stir the Hornet’s Nest
In a widely read opinion article carried by Project Syndicate and Malayalam newspaper Deepika, Shashi Tharoor referred to Emergency as a “dark period” for Indian democracy and used critic language to describe abuses of human rights during those years. What particularly shook up Congress leaders was Tharoor’s mention of the involvement of late Sanjay Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi and uncle of Rahul Gandhi, in masterminding excesses like forced mass sterilisation and censorship.
My column for a global audience on the lessons for India and the world of the Emergency, on its 50th anniversary @ProSyn https://t.co/QZBBidl0Zt
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 9, 2025
Tharoor’s musings ran headlong against the Congress party’s careful line on the Emergency. As the BJP goes on weaponising the era as a representative of authoritarianism, Congress has tended to go on the defensive, presenting it as a closed book. Yet Tharoor’s insistence that it be opened again, that its lessons be learned and its darkest secrets confronted, has embarrassed the party again, but this time from within.”.
Congress leader Manickam Tagore even made an indirect jibe on Tharoor and said if Tharoor was parroting BJP’s already framed script.
Shashi Tharoor Tops Kerala CM Survey – Boon or Dilemma for Congress?
Ironically, while Tharoor is drawing fire from the central and state organizations of his party, he has turned out to be the most popular face of the UDF in Kerala. The Kerala Vote Vibe Survey 2026 revealed that 28.3% of those surveyed opted for Tharoor to be the Opposition’s Chief Ministerial candidate more than any other leader among the Congress fold.
This poses a special challenge to Congress: Tharoor could be its best shot to take on the CPI(M)-led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, and neutralize the surge of the BJP-led NDA, which is rapidly increasing its fortunes in the state. With 62% of those surveyed having indicated a preference for voting out the existing MLAs, the anti-incumbency wave is genuine. If looking from a deep sense Shashi Tharoor’s cosmopolitan appeal, clean image, and oratory brilliance could be the UDF’s strongest weapon if the party chooses to wield it.
However, his independent-neutral tone, maverick moves, and ideological deviations have alienated many within the Congress, especially in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Senior leaders have often clashed with Tharoor both privately and publicly over their differences of opinion.
Shashi Tharoor’s Praise for PM Modi’s Foreign Policy
Shashi Tharoor has repeatedly addressed in public without hiding congress, Modi’s foreign diplomacy successes. He even appreciated India’s image building on the global stage under Modi government. While he clarified that “credit where due” should not be confused with political alignment, Tharoor’s words have provided ammunition to the BJP and invited criticism from Congress loyalists.
Shashi Tharoor’s participation in All-Party Delegation of Operation Sindoor
When the Modi government appointed Tharoor over the party’s recommended names to an all-party delegation to plead internationally after Pulwama, it created disgruntlement in Congress. The party interpreted it as the BJP picking a ‘soft target’ within the party to show bipartisan solidarity.
Shashi Tharoor’s Backing on Kerala’s Communist Government
Tharoor once openly applauded the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for developing the startup ecosystem in Kerala. Although this was appreciated by the opposition party as well, it triggered Congress state leadership. VD Satheesan and others criticized his intentions and motives, believing that he was diluting the party’s oppositional stand.
Shashi Tharoor’s Neutral Stance on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Tharoor had championed India’s even-handed diplomatic stance on the war, even going to the extent of saying he had been “wrong” to have opposed the Modi government’s neutrality at the start. He said this at the Raisina Dialogue. Tharoor’s remark was immediately taken by BJP to suggest Congress is divided and inconsistent.
If the PM of India can hug both the President of Russia & of Ukraine 2 weeks apart and is welcomed at both places it means India’s position was right & I had egg on my face 👏👏👏👏pic.twitter.com/TIvoCgLFBa
— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) March 19, 2025
Congress Presidential Race and Shashi Tharoor’s participation
Tharoor ran against Mallikarjun Kharge, pitching himself as a reformer in the 2022 Congress presidential polls as one of the most prominent Congress leaders in India, he was received with lukewarm support from his home state with leaders from Kerala like K Sudhakaran openly endorsing Kharge. Tharoor later conceded to having felt disappointed, exposing the gaping cracks within the party with his ascension.
Shashi Tharoor, A Man Apart: Thorn or Trump Card?
Overall, Shashi Tharoor is both an issue and an opportunity for Congress. His style of politics- articulate, cosmopolitan, and baggage-light by comparison is exactly what the party must offer in order to revive itself in a post-Rahul period. But his nonconformity, challenging of the establishment, and admiration for competitors all continue to fan doubts about his commitment.
As Congress is getting ready for a decisive fight in Kerala, where the CPI(M) is beginning to look weak and the BJP is poised to enter the bipolar fray, Tharoor can be the deciding factor in staying in the game. But until the party leadership comes to terms with his independence and until Tharoor makes a commitment to collective discipline the equation will be volatile.
The question can’t be whether Shashi Tharoor will quit Congress but whether Congress will drive him out or learn at last to work with its most unorthodox asset.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
