It would be facetious to believe, although some in his party do think so, that Shashi Tharoor is contesting the Congress presidential elections merely for the publicity that might accrue to him. The uncharitable view is that October 19, the counting day, would be embarrassing for Tharoor, but the electoral contest would help the party showcase its internal democracy.
There is also pressure on Shashi Tharoor to withdraw from the contest in favour of Mallikarjun Kharge to exhibit consensus and unanimity, which according to some, would help restore the dignity of the party 'high command' after the Rajasthan episode and help enthuse party workers.
On Friday, some of Tharoor's fellow 'G23' signatories proposed Kharge's name. One of them, Manish Tewari, complimented Digvijaya Singh for having "gracefully" withdrawn from the contest in Kharge's favour. The hint to Tharoor is that he should do the same.
After filing his nomination, Tharoor said that he had not taken the trouble of filing the nomination only to opt out later. "I have got signatures of party workers from a dozen states." Unlike the horde of leaders that descended on the Congress headquarters when Kharge filed his papers, only his office staff and party delegates, whom few recognised, accompanied Tharoor when he submitted his documents.
"I am not surprised that the establishment is rallying behind the status quo. If you want the status quo, I think you should vote for Mr Kharge. If you want change and progress with an eye to the rest of the 21st century, then I hope I will stand for that change," Tharoor, a three-term Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said. When commentators on Hindi news channels wondered how Tharoor might reach out to Congress delegates in the Hindi heartland, he spoke at length in Hindi.
To PTI, Tharoor said that he believes a fresh leader not "jaded by being entrenched within the current system for too long" could energise the party. He also seemed aware of the challenge. "But sometimes one must have the courage of one's convictions to do the right thing, regardless of the likely outcome," he said.