Is It Best for Tharoor to Leave Congress?

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, July 21 (NationPress) As the Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced, all attention was drawn to Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor -- and the first political strike originated from within his own party. Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan expressed that it would be "best" for Tharoor to exit the party.

“He doesn’t need to wait for the party to expel him -- that’s not going to happen. However, he clearly desires to be removed. It’s best he departs voluntarily,” stated Unnithan, a former film actor renowned for his candid remarks.

Unnithan further asserted that Tharoor should no longer be permitted to participate in Congress Parliamentary Party meetings. “Whatever is discussed there, he goes and conveys to PM Modi,” he claimed.

Unnithan gained prominence during a tumultuous period in Kerala Congress politics in the early 2000s, when veteran leader and four-time Chief Minister K. Karunakaran rebelled and caused a party split.

Initially aligned with Karunakaran, Unnithan later transitioned to the faction led by then-defence minister A.K. Antony and two-time CM Oommen Chandy. His fiery criticisms of Karunakaran and his family drew public attention, ultimately launching him into a brief film career.

He contested his inaugural election in 2006 but lost to CPI-M stalwart Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Thirteen years later, in 2019, the party unexpectedly nominated him from the northernmost constituency of Kasargod, far from his hometown in the capital. He won the seat and retained it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Unnithan’s attack on Tharoor came a day after senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan -- Karunakaran’s son -- announced that Tharoor would no longer be invited to party events in Thiruvananthapuram unless he revised his position on national security issues.

However, not all Congress MPs seem to share Unnithan’s animosity. Many younger lawmakers in Parliament are reportedly hesitant to distance themselves from the four-time MP, who remains a prominent and popular figure.

Tharoor, who arrived at the Congress office in Parliament on Monday, appeared composed and greeted colleagues warmly, signaling no tension. He was briefly seen conversing with BJP MP Tejasvi Surya in the Parliament premises. Recently, he led an all-party delegation to the Americas under the banner of 'Operation Sindoor' and emphasized at a Kochi event that “national interest must come before partisan politics.”

His comments -- particularly expressions of support for the armed forces and the central government on national security -- have drawn criticism from within Congress, with some accusing him of aligning too closely with the BJP stance.

In the coming days, the party’s response to Tharoor -- and his response to the party -- will likely reveal much about the internal dynamics within Congress.