Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor calling India’s 2016 surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) a “first” has drawn sharp criticism from within the Congress, since it contradicts the party’s position that similar strikes occurred under UPA. Back in his constituency of Thiruvananthapuram, though, the comment has generated a different kind of buzz. Voters and local Congress leaders are watching Tharoor’s moves closely—while some admire his individual appeal, others interpret the remark as a sign of his growing national ambitions and political recalibration.
The Congress leader’s remarks in Panama last week were slammed by Congress leader Udit Raj, who publicly accused Tharoor of disparaging the party’s ‘golden history’ and provocatively suggested he should be the “BJP’s super spokesperson”.
While Tharoor continues to make waves within the Congress Modi government’s efforts at political diplomacy, voters in his Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency—where he has won four consecutive terms—still appreciate his independent voice. But within the local Congress unit, there is caution, with some leaders uneasy about him speaking against the party line.
A local Congress functionary, who wished to not be named, said Tharoor’s “continuous praise for Modi has put the party in a difficult position with the public”.
“He can’t continue praising Modi. It’s making it difficult for us here as people question us on why the leaders are praising the BJP.”
The functionary added that while the party has instructed its members not to speak against Tharoor, he should also be mindful and ideally raise internal disagreements within the party.
Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress party has soured in the past weeks due to his public deviations from official party stances.
He has repeatedly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, most recently endorsing India’s military response, ‘Operation Sindoor’, after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, saying it was “well done”.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, though, swiftly clarified that Tharoor’s statements did “not reflect the party’s stance”.
Ramesh later also accused the Centre of playing “cheap political games” by selecting Tharoor to lead an all-party delegation to explain India’s position on the conflict with Pakistan, especially since the Congress had provided four MP names for consideration, and the Centre still chose him even though he wasn’t on the list.
Earlier, Tharoor had also drawn criticism from party leaders over his 2-day visit and meeting with US President Donald Trump, which he maintained was “good for India”, even as his colleagues were vocally attacking the Indian government over the repatriation of Indians from the US.
However, despite some local resentment over his long absences, the functionary quoted above noted that Tharoor continues to win because voters ultimately want the Congress to remain in power.
Also read: Shashi Tharoor’s loyalty keeps colliding with Congress scepticism—while his global stature grows
Changing perceptions, declining margins
Tharoor has held the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, which encompasses seven Assembly segments, since 2009, but recent electoral trends indicate a discernible weakening of his support base.
His victory margins, close to one lakh in both 2009 and 2019, dropped considerably in 2014 and, more recently, in 2024 to just 16,077 votes against BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
ThePrint visited three Assembly segments within the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency—Kovalam and Neyyattinkara, where Tharoor had leads of over 15,000 votes, and the Thiruvananthapuram Assembly segment, where he led by over 4,000 votes—to understand the sentiment among local Congress workers and voters.
Voters largely expressed admiration for Tharoor’s “non-partisan” views but also noted his frequent absences from the constituency and the prevalent factionalism within Congress.
Stanley, a 51-year-old resident of Vizhinjam in the traditional Congress stronghold of Kovalam, believes Tharoor“is speaking the truth”and that his knowledge and education drive his statements.
Stanley feels the party isn’t recognising Tharoor enough, prompting him to voice his dissent. He views the current tussle as a minor part of larger infighting within the party.
Shubha V., 44, also a resident of Vizhinjam, similarly said Tharoor has a “good name and reputation, which has created the perception that he might be right”.
A local fisherman in Vizhinjam, 50-year-old Abilis George, too, feels the ongoing disagreement is “just a result of the Congress’s internal fight”.
“The Congress is hugely divided. They don’t have any consensus on a stand. We can’t blame Tharoor for that,” he added.
However, Antony S., a 42-year-old Congress supporter from Kovalam who has campaigned for Tharoor in past elections, including in 2024, expressed regret at voting him in again.
“It was a mistake to re-elect him. He hasn’t done anything here,” he said.
He added that he voted for him to secure a win for the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, and finds Tharoor’s praise for the BJP disheartening. He emphasised that Tharoor’s votes are largely “party votes” and that he “can’t win without a party”.
Nandakumar, a 54-year-old grocery store owner in Neyyattinkara, appreciated Tharoor as “a good person and a global citizen”, but urged him to consider his voters.
“He is hoping to get more power and position in the BJP, it seems. But he should stay with the party’s policies. Without the Congress, he will not win,” said Nandakumar.
He added that Tharoor’s votes have significantly reduced due to his perceived poor performance as an MP.
Sudheer M., a 53-year-old auto driver in the same town, feels Tharoor is being unfairly targeted. “It looks like the Congress is throwing him out. He is just saying what is true.”
Another resident of Neyyattinkara, 74-year-old Somasekharan Nair, said Tharoor has never praised the PM blindly, he is only “admitting to the good deeds of other politicians”.
Nair added that it seemed like Tharoor wanted to join the BJP. “It looks like he is not satisfied with his position in the Congress. But it’s not right to show it openly,” he said.
Younger voters, like 39-year-old Shyamjith M. and 24-year-old Sudhin Gokul S., view Tharoor as a well-meaning intellectual who “speaks beyond politics”, while the Congress’s reaction to him has been “political”.
Gokul noted a shift in Tharoor’s votes to Chandrasekhar in 2024, as people saw the latter as an “equal alternative”.
In Thiruvananthapuram city, too, voters had mixed reactions.
Shaji H., a resident of Thiruvananthapuram’s Balaramapuram, said that though Tharoor is a good MP, the backing of the Congress is important for his victory from the constituency. He, too, said that Tharoor’s recent activities suggested he was interested in joining the BJP.
“His individual support is decreasing here. If he goes to the BJP. He will not win,” he said.
Congress functionaries feel ‘betrayed’
While the public expressed a mixed reaction, local Congress functionaries largely agree that Tharoor’s victory is primarily due to the party’s influence rather than his charisma.
A party functionary in Vizhinjam and another in Neyyattinkara said that while Tharoor’s international stature helped, “the votes came for Rahul Gandhi and INC”.
In Kovalam, too, functionaries consistently believe Tharoor’s success is party-driven.
One such functionary in Kovalam’s Mokkola said Tharoor was able to win despite his absence from the constituency because of the coastal community’s support for the Congress, and the perception that Tharoor’s victory was due to his votes is wrong.
“First term, he performed well. But now there’s a distance from Congress workers. People here vote for the party symbol, not him,” he said.
The leader said that Tharoor’s continuous praise of the BJP is a “bad mistake”.
“It’s local Congress functionaries who worked for his victory. He is doing a one-man show to get claps beyond party lines. It looks like he wants to show he can do a lot even without the support of the party.” he said. “But it’s not true.”
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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