Tridib Raman
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an important delegation of parliamentarians, has created a strong wave in favour of India abroad. He has embarked on a journey to countries like the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia to present the BJP’s stance on the issue of terrorism. But just before embarking on this foreign tour, Tharoor hosted a casual “Mango and Chaat” party at his New Delhi residence for a few handpicked Malayali journalists. During this party, he openly shared his true feelings with some trusted journalists, revealing the real issue he has with Rahul Gandhi. One of these journalists disclosed that Tharoor’s problem isn’t so much with Rahul himself, but rather with Rahul’s closest confidant, K.C. Venugopal. Tharoor believes that, barring four or five individuals, Rahul’s behaviour towards most party leaders is largely the same: carefree, easygoing, and to some extent, unconcerned about anyone. The journalist claimed that Tharoor’s core grievance is with Venugopal, who behaves like the de facto functional head of the Congress party and treats Tharoor as a “persona non grata” (an unwelcome guest). Though Tharoor enjoys a strong support base in Kerala, he is well aware that his role will be minimized by the party in the upcoming Kerala assembly elections next year. Even though he’s the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, many Congress MLAs from the state avoid meeting him. Shashi is currently 69 years old. If the BJP offers him a Rajya Sabha seat and makes him a minister in Centre, he will be 75 by the time his Rajya Sabha term ends. Perhaps then he might bid farewell to politics and settle abroad, as both his sons are settled in the United States and both his sisters have also settled overseas. His mother is also elderly, now 94 years old. So, if the BJP makes him their CM face in Kerala, he would put his full effort into campaigning for the BJP in his home state. Tharoor knows how much effort he had to put in to win from Thiruvananthapuram this time, so if the BJP fields Rajiv Chandrashekar again from there, Tharoor could certainly pave the way for his victory.
What Ministry Will Tharoor Get?
Tridib Raman
While a political debate can certainly be sparked about the intentions and perspective of Shashi Tharoor, who has recently embraced saffron colours, the BJP high command is reportedly delighted with his current performance. The delegation of MPs he is leading has successfully presented India’s perspective on terrorism to the media and civil society in various countries, including the US, Panama, and Guyana. Not only that, but the upcoming Kerala elections are also creating a stir in Tharoor’s mind, perhaps explaining why he is knowingly or unknowingly crossing several lines. For instance, on May 3rd, Tharoor, in an ‘X’ post, criticized the Kerala government for providing 100 million in aid to Turkey, directly linking the issue to Wayanad. It’s worth noting that Priyanka Gandhi is the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad. However, during this attack, Tharoor perhaps forgot that the Modi government also launched ‘Operation Dost’ to aid Turkey. According to sources, Tharoor was initially offered the HRD Ministry, but this idea might not have appealed to the RSS. The RSS has always wanted to maintain its influence in the Human Resources Ministry, and typically, leaders who enjoy special favour from the RSS are entrusted with this ministry. Sources indicate that two ministries are now being considered for Tharoor: the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce.
Why Does Naidu Want to Ban ₹500 Notes?
Just recently, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) held an important three-day meeting in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, which saw the gathering of over 500,000 party workers. During this meeting, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu advised the Modi government to discontinue the ₹500 note. Naidu stated, “If the central government genuinely wants to curb corruption completely, it should abolish high-value notes (currently ₹500) and introduce digital currency in their place.” Naidu appealed to the millions of party workers present to raise their hands in support of this idea. Naidu claimed before his party workers that he was the one who had advised Prime Minister Modi on the demonetization of 2016. He stated that his party was an NDA ally at that time, and he was appointed to the committee formed by the central government to prepare a roadmap for a cashless economy. It’s worth noting that this meeting in Kadapa was unprecedented in many ways. This was the first time in 43 years that a party convention was held in Kadapa since the formation of the Telugu Desam Party in 1982. This is significant because Kadapa has traditionally been a stronghold of the Congress, and since 2019, Jagan’s YSR Congress has firmly established its presence there. Chandrababu Naidu is already focused on the 2029 elections. He urged his party workers to win all 10 seats in the upcoming election from this region; currently, the TDP holds 7 seats here.
Why Was Supriya Sule Late for Her Foreign Trip?
The delegation of MPs traveling abroad to highlight the rationale of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the horrific face of terrorism to the world included Supriya Sule as one of its representatives. When she was about to leave for the foreign trip with her delegation, she received an important message that she needed to meet the Prime Minister along with her father, Sharad Pawar. As a result, Supriya’s foreign trip was postponed by two days. According to sources, when Supriya met the Prime Minister with her father, they were told that for the sake of national interest, they should work towards a ‘larger unity’, meaning that it was time for uncle (Sharad) and nephew (Ajit) to bury all their old grievances and reunite. The Prime Minister had already spoken to Ajit Pawar about this, who had readily agreed to the proposal. However, Ajit wants Supriya to focus on Delhi politics instead of Maharashtra. It is understood that the BJP had already offered Supriya a ministerial position at the Centre. According to sources, she was offered the post of Minister for Women and Child Development. However, Supriya wants that “if the BJP is genuinely so concerned about her future, then they should consider making her the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.”
Power Struggle in KCR’s Family
A fierce power struggle has broken out within Telangana’s regional party, the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi), between party chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s son K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and his daughter K. Kavitha. This sibling rivalry has escalated so intensely that the private family feud has now spilled out onto the streets. Currently, KTR serves as the Working President of the BRS. He has been traveling abroad for quite some time, allegedly to expand the party’s reach and strengthen its cadre overseas. However, Kavitha has taken a jab at her brother, sarcastically questioning, “When the party isn’t visible at the grassroots level, what’s the point of celebrating abroad under the pretext of expansion?” Recently, a letter Kavitha allegedly wrote to her father KCR surfaced on social media. In this viral letter, without naming her brother, Kavitha pointedly asks, “Who is conspiring to merge BRS with the BJP?” She further questions, “In our own state, both we and the BJP are in the opposition. So why can’t we take on the BJP here?” Kavitha suspects that the BJP is trying to strengthen its foothold in Telangana by poaching BRS cadres. Kavitha has also refused to recognize her brother as her leader, declaring that the only universally accepted leader in the party is her father, KCR. Taking things a step further, Kavitha claimed that “when she was in jail, she was approached with a proposal to merge BRS with the BJP, which she outrightly rejected.”
Pappu Yadav Becomes a Dilemma for Congress in Bihar Polls
In the Bihar elections, Pappu Yadav has emerged as the biggest conundrum for the Congress—a figure whom Rahul Gandhi can neither fully embrace nor completely reject. The entire Lalu family, including Tejashwi Yadav, is staunchly opposed to Pappu Yadav. As a result, Rahul Gandhi does not want to risk upsetting the RJD camp. However, both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi believe that Pappu should be given a respectable role or offer in the upcoming elections. Reportedly, the Congress has informally offered Pappu Yadav a deal to contest 3–4 seats in the Seemanchal region under the Congress symbol. Meanwhile, Pappu Yadav is also said to be preparing a Plan B: if talks fail, he may field his own candidates across the Seemanchal region. This move could deal a major blow to both the RJD and Congress, potentially giving the BJP–JDU alliance a significant electoral advantage.
