Shashi Tharoor wants ‘election’, not ‘selection’ of Congress president

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress lawmaker Dr Shashi Tharoor's warning against the exodus from the party, as happened in Goa, as it remained headless, has drawn mixed reactions in Kerala.

Senior leaders like P. J. Kurien supported him. But AICC organising general secretary K.C. Venugopal and secretary P. C. Vishnunath were on the defensive, saying the delay in finding a successor to Rahul Gandhi had not affected it.

The duo was in charge of Karnataka where the Congress lost power last week after a series of defections. Dr Tharoor attributed this to the leadership vacuum.

The third-time MP expressed his displeasure at procrastination in an interview to a news agency on Sunday and hoped that the party would act without delay.

On Monday, he said many lawmakers had spoken to him in private supporting his views. He also wanted an "election" and not a "selection" even if Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes up the reins and it should be a young leader as the party needs fresh blood.

"MPs are speaking out privately. It happens behind closed doors. A lot of people came to me and said they were 100 per cent behind what I said," he told NDTV. "I am speaking out because I got tired of colleagues saying their views to me. Until someone bells the cat, we will continue doing this behind doors in hushed whispers... This is not the right way; we should engage and inspire the citizens of the country... The fact that we don't have an interim president discredits the party."

On Ms Vadra's choice, he said, "The last word on the subject so far is that the Gandhi family is not interested. I would rather speak for a process."

On others not speaking in open, he said, "For many of them, this is their only profession, whereas I'm, as an ordinary citizen who strayed into politics, it's not been my lifetime career."