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    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.

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