Shashi Tharoor might not have won the Congress presidential election but to call him a loser in the Congress presidential election would be one of the gravest mistakes one could make.
Winning 1072 votes in an electoral college of 9,915, Tharoor undoubtedly demonstrated to the party that there are takers for what he stood for within the party. Clocking 12 per cent was his target and Tharoor managed 11.42 per cent of the 9,385 votes polled.
The votes he gathered in an otherwise one-sided election has now catapulted him to the top league of leaders. It is to be seen how the newly-elected party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is going to utilise the services of his rival – will he be given the mantle of a Vice President or a Working President is the question several now ask.
He always wanted to be in the decision-making process of the party but kept away and the elections was one way of trying to enter the top echelons. The impressive performance also has increased his stake for a seat at the high table of the Congress Working Committee.
The 66-year-old Thiruvananthapuram MP had stuck to his guns despite his friends in G-23 who wanted “change” deserting him, and in the process helped the Congress regain some credibility to the election process.
Tharoor, the UN diplomat-turned-politician, may complain about not having a level-playing field but he managed to ensure that the Gandhis at least publicly did not try to set the tone for the elections, especially after the Rajasthan fiasco where Ashok Gehlot’s supporters rebelled.
A middle-class darling, Tharoor also sent a message to the party that the youth – within and outside the Congress – are restless about the way the Grand Old Party is functioning, as he managed to win the confidence of some of the young MPs and leaders in the party. A large number might not have gone with him but the signal was clear.
The three-term MP, who first hit the poll cycle in 2009, also ensured that he did not burn the bridges with the Gandhis, as he managed to get nominated as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Chemicals and Fertilisers.
One who has quickly learnt the ropes of Indian politics, Tharoor threw himself in the ring after meeting Sonia Gandhi expressing his intention to fight the polls. He elicited a promise from her that she will remain neutral in the fight though it was clear that the High Command had something else in mind.
Those who support him believe that Tharoor is the best person to attract those outside the Congress ecosystem into the fold ahead of the 2024 elections. They believe the articulate former diplomat is looked upon as an inspiration by many youngsters and it could be an added advantage to the party.
For Tharoor, the organisational election also acted as an opportunity to meet party leaders from across the country and increase his reach and acceptability among party cadre. He crisscrossed the country as part of his campaign.