Shashi Tharoor hits back at those making veiled attacks on him for eyeing state politics

Just the same?

“Let anyone tell anything…I am doing my work. Whatever anyone says, I have no issue,” he told reporters in Kannur when asked about recent statements made by certain Congress leaders.

Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala was among those who had made veiled attacks against Tharoor while participating in a party programme in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

Taking a dig at Tharoor’s reported willingness to become the chief ministerial candidate of the Congress party in the next Assembly poll in 2026, Chennithala had said, “if someone has stitched a coat for the CM post, they should be ready to leave it behind and work for the success of the party in the upcoming parliamentary elections.”

He also said that no one should claim what position they would hold in the next four years.

Related: As Tharoor aspires to be CM, party MPs eye state politics

The party’s choice

Expressing displeasure over party leaders disclosing their political ambitions publicly, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal had said that everything should be discussed within party forums. He urged leaders not to give the media any chance to debate on such matters.

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran also said that it was not proper for anyone to decide a post or constituency on their own for the upcoming Assembly polls.

When reporters asked Tharoor if Chennithala’s “CM coat” remark was meant for him, Tharoor quipped that he had not stitched any coat for the top post.

“Our chief ministers usually don’t wear coats. I do not know who stitched the coat and when. You (media) should ask the question to those who made such statements, not to me,” he said in jest.

Also Read: Shashi Tharoor’s popularity makes party colleagues jittery

Word from the top

Shashi Tharoor with influential Muslim leader TP AbdullaKoya Madani. (Facebook)

The leader’s remarks has come at a time when discontent has been brewing within the Congress party over him reaching out to influential religious and community leaders.

Earlier this week, Congress central leadership had also clarified that it was not proper for any MP to make statements on their candidature.

It added that the party has its own organisational mechanism to choose its candidates.

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