More leaders target Shashi Tharoor over his CM aspirations

KC Venugopal said that party leaders should raise issues in the party meetings and avoid discussions

After the AICC and Congress leadership in Kerala taking strong stand against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's open remarks regarding his willingness to be Kerala Chief Minister, more leaders from the state are targeting Tharoor.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and former Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala made remarks targeting Tharoor at a function in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

Venugopal said that party leaders should raise issues in the party meetings and avoid discussions. "Congress is the most democratic party. Series of meetings happen in the party every month. Leaders can raise any issues in meetings and have discussions. All leaders have the responsibility to ensure that open debates do not spoil the dreams of party workers to come back to power," he said.

Chennithala said that Assembly elections in Kerala would happen only after four years and hence if anyone kept coats ready they need not wear it now. "No one can say what will happen after four years. Hence if anybody stitched suits considering the Assembly election, they shall keep it off now," he said.

Meanwhile, Tharoor reiterated that he only replied to queries of journalists whether he wished to be Kerala chief minister. "Since the assembly elections are taking place in 2026 only there is no relevance for such discussions now," he told reporters.

The Congress state leadership meetings on Wednesday and Thursday had flayed party MPs making open statements that they want to focus on Kerala politics.