Shashi Tharoor has also irked a sizable contingent of state leaders. If the suggestions from the party about his possibilities if he runs for the AICC president seat are any indication, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, a former diplomat-turned-politician, still remains an “outsider” within the Kerala branch of the Congress. While the majority of Congressmen preferred to criticise Tharoor in private, senior Congressman K Muraleedharan, who has been travelling with Rahul Gandhi around the padayatra, told TNIE that only the official candidate would receive the support of the state’s leadership.

“Tharoor has neither sought the support of the state Congress leadership nor held any talks with the stakeholders here. This reveals the lack of support he has from the state unit,” said Muraleedharan. “We will support only those who accept the leadership of the Nehru family,’’ he added. Padayatra state coordinator and senior MP Kodikunnil Suresh also snubbed Tharoor’s move. A significant number of state politicians are also angry with Tharoor. They believe he detracts from Rahul Gandhi’s padayatra’s shine. “When Tharoor is around, the national media is keener on him than on Rahul. If he was a sincere Congressman, Tharoor should not have done this , ” said a KPCC functionary.

There are some leaders who secretly allege that if Congress does not give Tharoor party ticket for the fourth consecutive term in 2024, he may join other parties like AAP or even would be an independent candidate with Left support. “He joined the Congress party in 2009 because the party was in power. If it was BJP which was in power in 2009, he would have joined BJP,’’ said a senior Congress leader.  “He joined the Congress party in 2009 because the party was in power. If it was BJP which was in power in 2009, he would have joined BJP,’’ said a senior Congress leader.

Some claim that Tharoor has also asked for a seat on the highest committee of the party, the Congress Working Committee, in the event that he decides not to run. Tharoor, however, refuted this. “I did not make any such demands,’’ he told TNIE. The 66-year old Tharoor, had always been an outsider in the party with a large section of the top leadership always trying to keep him away from all decision making processes. Tharoor has had to slog it out alone even during elections and his victories in the last three LS elections have been mostly out of his personal charisma and hard work.

Additionally, Tharoor has never shared the party’s position on the subject of women entering Sabarimala, privatising the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, or the continuing protest by the female community against the Vizhinjam International Transhipment Container Terminal.

However, Tharoor doesn’t seem to be phased despite not receiving any help from his fellow colleagues in his home state. While now camped out in New Delhi, he is meeting with party leaders from several states. Even though Rahul Gandhi is not present, he continues to command attention as his Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Ernakulam on Wednesday.