Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that he is an intellectual but not anti-Indian or anti-Modi. This reaction from the Thiruvananthapuram MP came after he was denied a place on the list of the star campaigners for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
After losing the race for Congress President, Shashi Tharoor was forced to take a back seat. First, Mallikarjun Kharge’s new body that replaced the Congress Working Committee (CWC) sidelined him. Then he was dropped off the list of top campaigners in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.
According to a report by Aaj Tak, Shashi Tharoor said, “As an intellectual, I am not against India. I have no hatred for Modi. My opposition is limited to just a government. I will continue our fight against the BJP.”
Shashi Tharoor added, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed several schemes that were actually started by the Congress. Congress was not given credit even once by PM Modi for those schemes. The needs of the people are the top priority.”
About being dropped off from the list, he said, “I personally wanted to campaign for the party in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, but I was not included in the list of star campaigners by the party. The party probably doesn’t need my service there. Anyway, if I go to an election state without becoming a star campaigner, then action can be taken by the Election Commission. Money can be deducted from the expenses of the candidate.”
Mallikarjun Kharge has formed another committee in place of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). 47 members have been given a place on this committee. It includes Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi among the Gandhi family members, and other family loyalists like Dr. Manmohan Singh, AK Antony, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Anand Sharma, Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken, Digvijay Singh, Ambika Soni, and Harish Rawat.
Mallikarjun Kharge won the election for Congress President by a significant margin against Shashi Tharoor. Kharge received 7897 votes in the poll, whereas Shashi Tharoor had to settle with 1072. The important point is that after 24 years, Congress finally received a non-Gandhi president with that win.