Political Tharoorosaurus : Tharoor speaks from the heart ahead of 2026 Kerala assembly polls

Senior Congress parliamentarian, former union minister, ex-international diplomat, and noted writer, Dr. Shashi Tharoor wears many hats. He has been representing Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha since 2009 and is consistently in the news for his writings and eloquent speeches, both inside and outside Parliament.

This time, however, he is in the news for voicing his opinion, which may not sit well with the Congress party high command.

Speaking on a podcast, he said, “My appeal in Thiruvananthapuram is much greater than what the party enjoys. People like the way I talk and behave. Even those who are generally against Congress voted for me. That’s what we need in 2026.”

He also pointed to his underutilization in the party, which may have ruffled some feathers. It is noteworthy that Kerala goes to the polls in 2026, and the party's general secretary, K.C. Venugopal, is also from Kerala. Tharoor’s comments, made at a time when elections are just a year away, have led to various speculations regarding his next political move.

It is also important to recall that Tharoor contested the organizational election for the post of party president against Mallikarjun Kharge, who was reportedly backed by the Gandhis. Tharoor was later accommodated as a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body in the party.

Also read: Rajasthan 2024: Lok Sabha Advantage Boosts Congress, By-Elections Favor BJP

Tharoor's Winning Streak Since 2009

Tharoor's confidence is rooted in the fact that he has been winning the Lok Sabha seat from Thiruvananthapuram since 2009, during the UPA government era. He also served as a union minister in the Manmohan Singh government.

In 2009, he won with 44.2% of the vote. In 2014, when Congress was nearly routed in the Modi Tsunami, Tharoor was one of the 44 leaders to make it to the Lok Sabha. He won with 34.1%, and in the absence of many veteran leaders, he managed to make his mark in the opposition with his sharp critiques of the government's policies, which held a brute majority.

In 2019, Tharoor again won the seat with 41.2% of the vote. By this time, as a third-term MP, his confidence had grown, showing that people still supported his views. Congress, however, once again lost the election and sat in the opposition. But Tharoor’s victory didn’t go unnoticed.

In 2024, Congress was in a stronger position than before and fiercely contested the elections against the BJP. The party raised its tally to 100, and after two terms, it secured the position of Leader of the Opposition. Tharoor once again won his seat, becoming a seasoned legislator.

Congress has just 1 MLA in assembly constituencies under Thiruvananthapuram

While Tharoor is popular as a Lok Sabha MP—evidenced by his victories since 2009—the Congress party has only one MLA out of the seven assembly constituencies that fall under his parliamentary seat.

BJP’s growing footsteps in Thiruvananthapuram

An interesting development is that the BJP is gaining ground in Thiruvananthapuram. In 2009, Tharoor defeated his nearest rival, Adv. P. Ramachandran Nair from CPI. The BJP candidate, P.K. Krishna Das, was a distant fourth with 11.4%.

However, since 2014, the BJP has consistently come in second, with its vote share crossing 30%. In 2014, O. Rajagopal of the BJP secured 32.3% of the vote, just 2% less than Tharoor’s 34.1%. In 2019, the BJP candidate secured 31.3%, again coming second, while in 2024, Tharoor won with 37.2%, and BJP’s Rajeev Chandrashekhar received 35.5%, once again finishing second.