Is Congress confused on Shashi Tharoor? Guarantee of victory or fear of rebellion in the party

News India Live, Digital Desk: Sometimes in politics, the most popular face becomes the biggest dilemma for the party. Similar is the condition of Kerala Congress and its high-profile leader Shashi Tharoor these days. The whole world knows Shashi Tharoor for his excellent English and global image. But for some time now, Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor has changed his attitude. Now the Kerala Assembly is attracting him more than the Delhi Parliament. And this very thing is becoming a headache for the Congress high command. What is the issue after all? The simple fact is that soon the state of Kerala Assembly Elections is going to be held. Congress is desperate to return to power there. In such a situation, Shashi Tharoor has expressed in hushed words, and sometimes openly, that he is ready to take the responsibility of becoming the Chief Minister. The general public, especially the youth and educated people, want to see Tharoor as the CM candidate. He feels that Tharoor has a vision to transform Kerala. But, the story within the Congress party is not so simple. Why is the command sitting in Delhi scared? The Congress leadership is faced with a situation of “well here, ditch there”. Tharoor’s strength: Tharoor is the face who can attract neutral voters (those who are not staunch devotees of any party). He is popular among the youth and is making inroads in various sections of the society (Nair, Church, minorities). If Congress puts him forward, then the chances of winning the elections may increase. Party’s fear: On the other hand, the old and veteran leaders of Kerala Congress consider Tharoor as an outsider or ‘parachute leader’. V.D. Satheesan and K. Leaders like Sudhakaran have been running the organization for years. If Tharoor is suddenly made the ‘CM face’, there could be a fierce rebellion within the party. Groupism is an old disease of Kerala Congress, which can re-emerge. Tharoor has changed his style. If you notice, you will find that Tharoor no longer just goes to literature fests. These days he is meeting religious monasteries, influential social leaders and community leaders of Kerala. This is a clear indication that he now wants to come out of the ‘elite’ image and become a grassroots leader. What will happen next? The Congress leadership has currently adopted the policy of ‘Wait and Watch’. They can neither refuse Tharoor because he is a ‘winning card’, nor can they openly make him the groom because the baraati (other leaders) will get angry. It will be interesting to see in the coming days whether Congress takes a risk and plays a bet on Tharoor, or follows the old tradition. But one thing is certain, Tharoor has definitely created a stir from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram by presenting his claim.