'Rahul Gandhi is 'man of match' of Lok Sabha polls': Shashi Tharoor says Congress hit ball out of park in many places

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor praised Rahul Gandhi as the "man of the match" in the recent Lok Sabha elections and suggested that he should become the Leader of the Opposition in the House.

"It will be a challenge for Mr (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah who have not been used to consulting very much in running their government and I think this is going to test their ability to change their way of functioning and be more accommodative and more conciliatory within the government and also I hope with the opposition," Tharoor said on the coalition government of the NDA.

 

Speaking to the media, Tharoor highlighted the electorate's message as a rebuke to the BJP's perceived arrogance and unilateral governing style. He stated that the mandate showed a "comeuppance" to the BJP's "overbearing arrogance" and its "my way or the highway" approach.

The former Union minister predicted a potentially "helpless government" as the NDA coalition will need unanimous agreement on policies. He pointed out internal disagreements on issues like the Agniveer scheme and demands for special status by leaders in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, suggesting a move towards more consensual governance.

"Already we have questions being raised by one party on the Agniveer scheme, saying that it needs to be reviewed and they have been supported by a second party namely the JD(U) and Chirag Paswan. Both in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, some leaders have demanded special category status for their states which the BJP government had hitherto refused to grant, that will have to be re-examined," he said.

 

Tharoor criticized the Modi administration's previous handling of Parliament, likening it to treating the institution as a "notice board" and assuming decisions would be rubber-stamped. He emphasized that with a strong opposition of over 230 MPs, such an approach is no longer feasible.

Tharoor voiced his support for Rahul Gandhi to become the Leader of the Opposition, praising Gandhi's extensive campaigning alongside Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Tharoor emphasized Gandhi's popularity and effectiveness, stating that it would be appropriate for him to lead the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

"He and Congress president (Mallikarjun) Kharge campaigned extensively throughout the country, but Mr Kharge is in the Rajya Sabha where he leads the Opposition and it would only be fitting that Rahul Gandhi does the same in the Lok Sabha. I have certainly conveyed my view both publicly and privately in that regard," Tharoor said. "I think we have a strong number now to stand up to the government and it (Leader of Opposition) should be a leader who is undoubtedly the most popular in the party," he said, referring to Gandhi.

 

Tharoor compared Gandhi's performance to that of a star cricket player, saying Congress "hit the ball out of the park" in many areas despite challenging conditions. He acknowledged tough competition in his own constituency of Thiruvananthapuram, where he narrowly defeated Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar by over 16,077 votes.

Tharoor reflected on the 2024 mandate, stating that Indian voters have sent a clear message against taking democracy for granted, referencing past government actions like demonetization and abrupt lockdowns. He stressed the importance of coalition governance and consultation to ensure the government's survival. Tharoor further likened Gandhi's performance to being "unquestionably, indeed the man of the match" in the polls and highlighted instances where the Congress "hit the ball out of the park".

"In some places we had a tight finish. In my case there was a super over at the end of the T20 in my constituency. Lot of cricketing analogies all over the place but as we are seeing in the World T20, there are some concerns about the pitch we had to bat on and I would say that we had no choice but to play on the pitch we were given but it could certainly have been a far more level playing field than it was," he said.