Watch | Tharoor, and the Congress vs BJP slugfest: Who wins, who loses?

Tensions between the Congress and its leader Shashi Tharoor have escalated, with the party saying he is very much a "part of their family" but had erred in claiming that surgical strikes against Pakistan were held for the first time in 2016. Tharoor, who is heading a multi-party delegation to five countries, including Panama and the US, had a ready riposte for the jibes by some of his party colleagues.

In a discussion on the YouTube program Political Prism, The Federal's Political Editor Puneet Nicholas Yadav spoke about the spat, what triggered it, and what could be the outcome.

Shashi Tharoor’s praise for Modi and Operation Sindoor has stirred a storm. Is he becoming a Modi fan?

I wouldn’t put it in exactly those words, but yes, Tharoor’s recent remarks have once again created friction within the Congress. He’s a four-term MP from Thiruvananthapuram and has repeatedly taken stances that deviate from the party line.

Tharoor has always had this tendency to make flamboyant statements that are politically charged. That pattern has now grown more dangerous for the Congress, especially when his words mirror the BJP's script.

This isn’t the first time it’s happened, and certainly not just about Operation Sindoor. There's ongoing speculation—whether he’s unhappy with his role in the party, sending a message to the leadership, or even preparing to break away, perhaps to join another political force, including the BJP.

The immediate trigger is his comment on Operation Sindoor and the diplomatic fallout. He’s currently leading one of seven government-formed delegations abroad, which the Congress did not nominate him for. That in itself created tension. Despite being a seasoned diplomat, the Congress has often viewed him as a maverick.

When he was chosen by the government, not the party, Congress tried to spin it to its advantage—saying the BJP had to rely on a Congress MP to handle diplomacy.

But once the delegation left, and Tharoor began speaking, problems emerged. His statements have contradicted the Congress’s official stance—particularly a remark made in Panama where he suggested India hadn’t launched surgical strikes before 2014. That goes directly against what the Congress has been saying for years.

So, is this an isolated moment of friction or part of a longer pattern with Tharoor?

This isn’t new. Tharoor has often been at odds with the Congress leadership. The Congress believes surgical strikes under UPA were covert and never politicised, unlike the Modi government’s post-Uri and Balakot approach. Tharoor, however, in praising post-2014 operations—including Operation Sindoor—essentially aligns with the BJP's narrative.

In fact, Dr Manmohan Singh himself had criticised the politicisation of military operations. The Congress even released data on surgical strikes during UPA and Vajpayee years. So, when Tharoor echoes the Modi line abroad, it’s seen as crossing the line—not just diplomatically but politically.

His defenders say he’s only representing the government’s viewpoint as head of a delegation. But within Congress, many feel he’s gone well beyond the brief and veered into BJP propaganda territory. Whether this signals ideological drift or something more strategic, only time will tell.

There's also a perception that the Congress sidelines anyone who tries to grow too big. Is Tharoor facing that?

I wouldn’t generalise that. No party—Congress or BJP—tolerates indiscipline or public defiance. The issue with Tharoor is that this kind of behaviour is repetitive. Earlier, the Congress would ask him to rein it in privately. Now, it’s escalated into public rebuke, because he’s echoing Modi’s election rhetoric: that Congress was soft on terror, did nothing post-26/11, and so on.

Take the infamous 2009 “cattle class” comment. The UPA was pushing austerity, asking MPs to fly economy. Tharoor tweeted he was flying “cattle class”—a witty jab perhaps, but politically tone-deaf. It snowballed into a major controversy. His response? More wordplay—“Holy Cow!”—which only worsened matters.

He’s always had this tendency to make flamboyant statements that are politically charged. That pattern has now grown more dangerous for the party, especially when his words mirror the BJP's script.

Let’s rewind to the 2022 Congress presidential election. Tharoor stood against the high command’s clear choice. How did that affect his standing?

The Congress wanted Mallikarjun Kharge to be president. Tharoor ran anyway. He lost by a huge margin but polled the highest-ever vote share for a losing candidate in a Congress presidential contest. That in itself made the leadership uneasy.

Later, they tried a rapprochement—he was inducted into the Congress Working Committee. But even that didn’t satisfy him. He’s unhappy with how he’s utilised in Parliament, and in Kerala, where he harbours ambitions to become Chief Minister. He’s made that desire very public.

So, the core issue now is whether Tharoor’s ambitions are compatible with what the Congress is willing to offer. And vice versa—has the Congress truly leveraged his strengths?

Given the build-up to Kerala elections, who is Tharoor more valuable to right now—Congress or BJP?

That depends on how he chooses to act. If he champions Congress’s cause, he’s a huge asset. But if his words are picked up by the BJP to corner Congress, then he's more useful to their narrative. Kerala’s a unique state.

The BJP hasn’t made significant inroads. In fact, their most notable Lok Sabha performance was in Thiruvananthapuram—Tharoor’s seat. He used to win by margins over a lakh. But in 2024, against Rajeev Chandrasekhar, he barely scraped through by 10,000 votes.

So, is he rattled by that narrow win? Is he exploring options? Possibly. Or maybe he’s just fed up with his treatment in the party. But he hasn’t made any overt moves yet. That clarity will come as we get closer to the Kerala elections.

So what happens when Tharoor returns from the delegation tour?

From what I hear within the Congress, they’re not going to extend any further olive branches. The mood is quite combative. The party believes that if there is to be any reconciliation, the onus is now on Tharoor.

So, is he rattled by that narrow win? Is he exploring options? Possibly. Or maybe he’s just fed up with his treatment in the party. But he hasn’t made any overt moves yet. That clarity will come as we get closer to the Kerala elections.

He’ll have to make the move, not the other way around. Once he’s back, I expect sharper words from both sides. Whether that results in a rupture or rapprochement—we’ll have to wait and see.

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