Behind the News is your round-up of musings from the corridors of power. Several sidelined leaders believe that gatekeepers of the leadership in Congress fail to utilise talent and eventually risk losing them because of prioritising ‘yes-men’.
Published Feb 27, 2025 | 1:28 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 27, 2025 | 4:37 PM
Karti Chidambaram, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor.
Synopsis: A host of Congress leaders within the party believe they are treated with the disdain. Several sidelined leaders believe that gatekeepers of the leadership in Congress fail to utilise talent and eventually risk losing them because of prioritising ‘yes-men’.
What does a terrific orator and a former diplomat-turned-MP, who decided to read 365 books in 365 days when he was a teenager, do when his party doesn’t give him much to do? More books, more speeches and events around the world.
That’s precisely what Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said during a newspaper’s podcast show. A teaser of the interview, that highlighted his other “choices” if Congress didn’t need his services, sparked off a controversy, leaving feathers ruffled in the Kerala unit of the Congress.
Barely weeks before the “other options” row, Tharoor was criticised by his own party leaders for an opinion piece in another newspaper — about the huge growth of industrial and startup sectors in Kerala. In this piece, Tharoor celebrated his state’s milestone, while critics saw it as an appreciation for the policies of the rival CPI(M)-led LDF government.
This isn’t the first time Tharoor has been put on the spot for his statements or opinions. Moreover, Tharoor isn’t even the only Congress MP who finds contempt from his colleagues.
Whether it is his occasional praise of politicians cutting across party lines — including BJP leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi — or his active push for Adani operated port in Vizhinjam, Tharoor has always been viewed with suspicion.
It is because of this suspicion that media houses were quick to ask if Tharoor will join the BJP, purely based on a teaser of his podcast interview.
Tharoor’s decision to contest the AICC President polls against Mallikarjun Kharge — someone seen as endorsed by the Gandhi family — his being part of a group of Congressmen who wrote to Sonia Gandhi pressing for the need to shake things up in the party to revive it, have all landed him in an unenviable position within the party.
He, however, isn’t alone. A host of Congress leaders within the party believe that they are being treated with the same disdain. The recently held Budget session of the Parliament is an example.
Three MPs known for their stinging articulation of policy matters were not given an opportunity to speak — neither regarding the President’s address nor the budget.
Karti Chidambaram, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor were overlooked as the party gave slots for other MPs to speak. Given the MPs’ track record, the party could have spared 10 minutes each for them but it chose not to.
It isn’t just in the Parliament. Even after being elected as an MP multiple times, the party has not nominated Karti Chidambaram to any key parliamentary committees, nor has it entrusted him with any significant responsibility in the Tamil Nadu unit of the party.
To make it even worse, he isn’t even made part of any delegations of the party. Shashi Tharoor, despite his popularity, isn’t considered to spearhead any campaign in Kerala. A statewide outreach programme he initiated on his own was also viewed with suspicion.
Several sidelined leaders believe that gatekeepers of the leadership in Congress fail to utilise talent and eventually risk losing them because of prioritising “yes-men”.
