Page 8 - The Indian EYE 020626

EYE ON INDIA FEBRUARY 06, 2026 | The Indian Eye 8

Tharoor–Rahul Thaw Could Re-energise

Congress Ahead of High-Stakes Kerala Polls

A public show of unity between Shashi Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi may help

the Congress steady internal nerves, sharpen its campaign and present a cohesive front

in Kerala’s crucial 2026 Assembly elections.

OUR BUREAU portray the Congress as divided and
directionless. By engaging directly
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram
with Tharoor, Rahul Gandhi helps
he meeting between Congress reinforce the message that internal
MP Shashi Tharoor and the debates will not be allowed to spill
Tparty’s top leadership, includ- over into the public domain during
ing Rahul Gandhi and president Mal- an election cycle.
likarjun Kharge, may have been de- The timing of this reconciliation
scribed as “cordial and constructive,” is crucial. Kerala is poised for a tri-
but its political significance goes far angular contest involving the ruling
beyond personal equations. At a time LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the
when the Congress is preparing for BJP-led NDA, which is aggressive-
a high-stakes Kerala Assembly elec- ly seeking to expand its footprint in
tion, even the perception of a thaw the state. For the UDF to mount a
between Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi credible challenge to the Left’s de-
could prove strategically important cade-long rule, it must project unity,
for the party’s prospects in the state. clarity of leadership and a compel-
Kerala is one of the few remain- ling alternative narrative. A visibly
ing Congress strongholds, yet it is aligned Tharoor–Rahul combine
also a state where factionalism and strengthens that effort, at least at the
leadership tussles have historically level of perception.
blunted the party’s electoral edge. This does not mean that under-
With elections expected before May lying differences have vanished. Tha-
2026 and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left roor has, in the past, articulated po-
Democratic Front aiming for a rare sitions that diverge from the party’s
third consecutive term, the Con- official line, and he has occasionally
gress-led United Democratic Front drawn criticism from within the Con-
(UDF) can ill afford public displays gress for his independent streak. How-
of discord. Against this backdrop, ever, the willingness on both sides to
the optics of Tharoor meeting Ra- engage privately and present a unit-
hul Gandhi and Kharge help arrest ed public face suggests a pragmat-
speculation that internal differences Congress MP Shashi Tharoor arrives on the first day of the Budget Session of Parliament, in ic recognition of electoral realities.
might derail the party’s campaign. New Delhi on Wednesday (ANI Photo/Rahul Singh) From a campaign perspective,
The friction had become visible a reconciled leadership allows the
over the past week. Tharoor’s ab- Congress to deploy Tharoor more ef-
sence from an important All India added to the intrigue. In that sense, recent elections, he has demonstrat- fectively — as a national-level com-
Congress Committee meeting on Thursday’s meeting and his careful ed an ability to attract urban, mid- municator, a bridge to civil society
Kerala election preparations, fol- public remarks afterwards appear dle-class and young voters, segments and a credible face in Kerala’s urban
lowed by reports that he felt “deep- designed to draw a line under the ep- where the Congress often struggles centres. His presence alongside Ra-
ly insulted” after being ignored by isode. By emphasising camaraderie against both the Left and the BJP. hul Gandhi in the run-up to the polls
Rahul Gandhi at the party’s Maha and collective purpose, Tharoor sig- Marginalising such a leader, or al- could energise cadres, blunt opposi-
Panchayat in Kochi, triggered talk nalled that he remains firmly within lowing perceptions of alienation to tion attacks and counter the Left’s
of a widening rift. Though the party the party fold — a message as much fester, would have risked weakening narrative of stable governance.
maintained that Tharoor had prior for party workers in Kerala as for the the UDF at a time when it needs to Ultimately, Kerala elections are
commitments at the Kerala Liter- national leadership in Delhi. broaden its appeal. won not just on arithmetic but on
ature Festival, the narrative of dis- For the Congress, this patch-up Equally important is Rahul momentum and morale. The Con-
content gained traction, particularly matters because Tharoor occupies a Gandhi’s role in Kerala politics. As gress has often faltered when inter-
in Kerala, where Tharoor enjoys a unique political space in Kerala. A a former MP from Wayanad, Rahul nal rivalries overshadowed its mes-
strong personal following beyond four-time MP from Thiruvanantha- retains a deep emotional connect sage. By closing ranks now, the party
traditional Congress voters. puram and the working president of with the state’s electorate. Any im- gives itself a better chance to focus
Tharoor’s subsequent statement the Kerala Congress, he combines pression of discord between him and on issues such as employment, gov-
that there were “issues” he wished intellectual appeal, media credibil- a senior Kerala leader like Tharoor ernance fatigue and federal concerns
to discuss with the leadership only ity and cross-party acceptability. In could have been exploited by rivals to that resonate with Kerala voters.

www.TheIndianEYE.com