‘First decide which party you belong to’: Muraleedharan slams Tharoor

Thiruvananthapuram: Referring to Congress Working Committee member Shashi Tharoor’s social media post, which highlighted a survey suggesting he is the most preferred choice for chief minister among Congress-led UDF leaders in Kerala, senior party leader K. Muraleedharan took a sharp dig at him, remarking, "He should first decide which party he belongs to."

Muraleedharan was responding to a query about Tharoor’s post on 'X', saying, "Even if someone else is leading in the survey, if the UDF comes to power in the 2026 Assembly polls, the chief minister will be from the UDF." He added, "Our aim is to win the elections. We are not interested in such unnecessary controversies."

Muraleedharan further said that there are several senior leaders within the Kerala unit of Congress who would be considered for the chief minister’s post, irrespective of the findings of any survey. He emphasised that the party follows a structured framework of rules to determine who would be chosen as the next CM.

The comments come amid growing friction between Tharoor and the Congress central leadership, particularly in the wake of his remarks following the Pahalgam terror attack. His statements have drawn significant criticism from within the party, with some leaders interpreting them as putting the Congress on the defensive.

The survey, reportedly carried out by a private agency, indicated that 28.3 per cent of respondents see Tharoor as best suited to lead the state. Tharoor shared a news post referencing the survey on 'X' on Wednesday, accompanied by a folded hands emoji.

Kerala is expected to head to the Assembly polls in April next year, as the five-year term of the second LDF government, led by CPI(M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan, draws to a close.

(inputs from PTI)