Shashi Tharoor’s spat with Congress reaches breaking point | Powertrip #103

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, Pooja Prasanna, and Nidheesh MK. In this edition, we tell you about Shashi Tharoor’s long, uneasy dance with the Congress that’s nearing its final steps — and how Delhi’s power corridors are bracing for the break-up. In Tamil Nadu, the second wave of ED searches in the alleged TASMAC scam is trying to reach the doorsteps of the first family of the DMK, through a friend of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Tharoor-Congress showdown reaches breaking pointOne of the big political stories the media has been following avidly is the rift between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress party. The relationship has been deteriorating for several months now and has reached a flashpoint. From the question a few months ago of “will he quit the party”, it’s now become “when will he quit the party”.There are several layers to this story and we have spoken to many sources to bring you these updates. In February, we told you about how Tharoor wants to be the Chief Minister face of the Congress in Kerala, but state leaders detest him. Then in April we told you how Tharoor’s team is busy deflecting rumours that he would be given an international assignment by the Union government.Much more has happened after this. The latest showdown is over the government’s decision to make Tharoor head one of the seven Parliamentary delegations that will visit foreign countries to brief them on Operation Sindoor.Rumors are swirling in Delhi about a possible meeting between Tharoor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with speculation that the Congress MP has been offered a high-level diplomatic position. While some say it will be akin to a ‘sherpa’ with cabinet rank to represent India internationally, others believe it will be an international posting of Tharoor’s choice. This would be separate from the current delegation to the US and UK being discussed—a mission expected to last merely two weeks—and would allow Tharoor to maintain his position as Trivandrum MP.When contacted, Tharoor’s camp vehemently denied any Modi meeting or role negotiations, characterising the speculation as “an assault on his character” designed to portray him as self-serving. Intriguingly, these officials suggest the rumours originate from within Congress itself, reflecting growing internal tensions over Tharoor’s rising profile.If one thing has changed over the months, that’s the fact that those close to Tharoor are no longer denying the possibility of his exit from the Congress.“The chances of him quitting Congress are higher than ever before,” a close Tharoor confidant told us. This source believes that the Congress leadership is deliberately spinning stories against Tharoor, particularly after the party made what Tharoor’s allies describe as a “snarky comment” that he wasn’t part of their official four-person delegation list—a list that notably included three individuals with limited global affairs expertise.For a former UN diplomat with solid international experience, this exclusion reportedly strikes Tharoor as a calculated humiliation. “What began as humiliation has transformed into hatred,” one source explained, noting that they have heard whispers that certain Congress leaders believe Tharoor “should be taught a lesson”.Sources in the party say the leadership is upset over two things. One is that they believe Tharoor was approached by the BJP to lead the delegation and he never informed party leaders about it. The second is that they feel Tharoor has used the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor to position himself as a nationalist at odds with his own party. “He will be the victim if he quits, he has ensured that image will prevail,” a source said.Nevertheless, Tharoor’s associates insist that if he quits, it would not be because another offer exists on the table (which they firmly deny at present) but because of self-respect. They say he has been emotionally wounded by the series of attacks against him within the Congress, which intensified especially after he contested for the AICC leadership. “He is the kind of man who takes pride in representing India on a global forum, he considers such things an honour,” said one associate.Interestingly, Congress hasn’t demanded that Tharoor withdraw from the delegation. His camp interprets this as “Congress blinking rather than forcing a resignation”, but they remain watchful about the party’s next move.One potentially explosive scenario the Tharoor camp anticipates—though considered a long shot—would be Congress formally requesting the Speaker to replace Tharoor as head of the External Affairs Committee. Since BJP justified Tharoor’s inclusion in the delegation based on this chairmanship, such a move would force a critical choice: if the Speaker rejects the request, Tharoor could participate citing status quo; if approved, Tharoor would face what allies call “a moral choice” between stepping down or defying the party.“That would be the proverbial last straw,” said one associate. “He would likely conclude that self-respect matters more than anything else.”This insider emphasised that if Tharoor quits, he would not settle for some namesake position like a Governor’s role or one that would be seen as a step toward retirement. Instead, it could be a more key role that would damage Congress in states like Kerala while maintaining his visibility nationally and internationally—though they insist this isn’t currently being discussed officially in any manner.This wouldn’t be Tharoor’s first cross-party controversy. His previous role as goodwill ambassador for Swachh Bharat and many more such incidents sparked similar tensions, with BJP then defending his selection based on social media influence regardless of party affiliation.Such incidents highlight what some describe as an “unusual chemistry” between Modi and Tharoor—one insider compared it to the Nehru-Shankar relationship. “They’re both self-made men who earned their positions rather than inheriting them,” the source noted. However, this relationship has cost Tharoor politically.With Congress suffering two consecutive state electoral defeats, he made it clear that he would want to be the Kerala Chief Minister face of the Congress in 2026. Even now, there are leaders who believe that the whole fracas can be solved if Rahul Gandhi and Kharge decide to make Tharoor the CM face. But even if such a move would help the Congress win back Kerala, other party leaders in the state like VD Satheeshan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KC Venugopal are dead against it.It’s like a Hollywood Western staring contest now—a wait to see who blinks first. With Tharoor’s campaign staff currently idle except for parliamentary work, the coming days promise to be decisive. As one insider concluded, “He won’t quit easily, but he’s not going to put up with everything either. If provoked further, he would become a Karnan.” ED at Udhayanidhi’s friend’s doorstepThe Enforcement Directorate’s heat on the DMK government over the alleged TASMAC scam has become a huge headache for Chief Minister MK Stalin.As expected, the ED landed at the doorstep of people close to the first family of the DMK, particularly Ratheesh, a close friend of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Ratheesh has been a person of interest for the central agency and has been under the radar for quite some time.In 2022, the ED summoned him in a case related to Lyca Productions. Similarly, in 2023, when the ED planned to carry out searches on Ratheesh and question him, he left the country before the raids.On May 16, when the ED launched the second round of searches in connection with the TASMAC case, the agency had evidence against Ratheesh and intended to search the flat at which he was staying in Chennai’s posh MRC Nagar.But before the ED could reach his residence, Ratheesh had vacated the flat and made his way to the airport to board a flight to London via Dubai.The second wave of ED searches and the questioning of TASMAC MD Visakan have set alarm bells ringing in the corridors of power. To slow down the ED onslaught, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to approach the Supreme Court, challenging the Madras High Court order that allowed the ED to carry out its investigation into the TASMAC money laundering case.A section in the bureaucracy feels that Ratheesh leaving the country and not co-operating with the investigation will prove costly for the DMK..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Why Ashoka University professor’s arrest has no legal basis.Ali Khan Mahmudabad’s social media posts do not meet the standards or even definitions of the stringent provisions invoked against him..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesKarnataka caste survey data shows Brahmins, Lingayats, Vokkaligas most socially advancedJagan Mohan Reddy's ex-secretary, ex-OSD arrested in liquor scam caseNot just one bad apple: Shocking allegations point to systemic abuse in Kerala firmsTamil Nadu: ED raids home of TASMAC MD, recovers printouts of WhatsApp chatsRestore Kancha Gachibowli forest or get punished: Supreme Court to Telangana govt

Shashi Tharoor’s spat with Congress reaches breaking point | Powertrip #103

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