Congress leader Shashi Tharoor MP’s “eyebrow-raising” political foray into Malabar has seemingly thrust him into the centre of his party’s internal intrigues in Kerala.

Mr. Tharoor’s current “Malabar pitch” has fuelled speculation that he has pivoted to State politics, presumably because the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has failed to accommodate him in a leadership position of consequence at the national level.

Mr. Tharoor’s failed, but headline-hogging AICC presidential campaign had catapulted him into the national limelight earlier. Uncomfortably for the Congress, Mr. Tharoor’s latest sortie comes when other prominent leaders, including some MPs, have indicated a strong desire to shift to State politics.

MP’s complaint

Mr. Tharoor’s “Malabar tour” has already triggered discord. Some Youth Congress apparatchiks allegedly “boycotted” his programme in Kozhikode. The AICC clarified that there was no ban on attending Mr. Tharoor’s public functions but left the choice to party workers. Notably, there was no party whip.

M.K. Raghavan, MP, a staunch Tharoor ally, has pointedly accused the Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) of cold-shouldering the latter and demanded a Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC)-level inquiry.

Meeting IUML leaders

At least for the record, a few Congress leaders have welcomed Mr. Tharoor’s “Malabar tour”, which notably includes a meeting with the Indian Union Muslim League leaders who have an outsize say in United Democratic Front (UDF) affairs.

However, some party persons fear the apparent bonhomie could belie an impending feud that might roil the Congress in Kerala ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The competing factions in the KPCC have a well-documented history of opposition to Mr. Tharoor. Some leaders had publicly campaigned against Mr. Tharoor’s AICC presidential bid.

Factions’ stance

The KPCC factions reportedly oppose any emergent clique allied with Mr. Tharoor, fearing it would undermine long-established power equations in the party’s State unit. Mr. Tharoor, who says he stands for “organisational change as against status quo”, seems not averse to a battle of political wits.

In Kozhikode, Mr. Tharoor pointedly used a football analogy that seemed to indicate his thinking. “Politics is like football, and I prefer playing in a central forward position. Nevertheless, a sportsman-like spirit should guide the game,” he said.