Will Shashi Tharoor talk to Congress' high command to clarify his stance?

After Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor's reported isolation from the party's rank and file, speculation is rife in political corridors if he will meet the party’s top brass to address recent rumors about his political alignment. 

According to party insiders, Tharoor will try to talk to Congress head Rahul Gandhi or party president Mallikarjun Kharge to clarify his point on the recent controversy that he thinks was blown out of proportion. This comes amid Tharoor referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the prime asset of the country, as per recent media reports.

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There are also murmurs in political circles that he might be finding his way towards the BJP. However, the leaders close to Tharoor say that he has expressed no such willingness to join the saffron camp. 

A section of leaders also feel that the party needs more internal engagement. According to certain Congress leaders, the problem with the party is that there are no efforts being made by the top brass to get in touch with leaders who are dissatisfied in their own right. 

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The controversy also highlights the challenges Congress is facing in maintaining unity, amid differing ideological currents within the party. 

A senior Congress leader explained that the gaps could be bridged if there were more meetings between the central leadership and those who seemed to be veering off the party line. They argued that this would help the party get a frank assessment of the problems at hand. 

Tharoor’s reformist views have often clashed with the party’s traditional leadership, fuelling speculation about his future. 

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Though Tharoor has already acknowledged having “differences of opinion” with the party leaders in both Kerala and Delhi, he stressed that these would be discussed internally. 

“I will talk when the time comes,” he said.

India