'Two reasons behind my decision to contest for post of Congress president despite knowing that I would lose'; Tharoor opens up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor MP has stated that apart from becoming a Working Committee member, nothing else has changed for him in the Congress party after contesting for the party president post. He emphasized that he had no regrets about running for the position and was aware that he was not going to win even before the nomination day. Tharoor revealed the reasons behind his decision to contest despite knowing the outcome while speaking in a podcast with The Indian Express.

Shashi Tharoor's words:
"After contesting for the Congress president post, nothing significant has changed for me. I have no regrets about running for the post of Congress president. Until the nomination day, I knew I was not going to win. Senior Working Committee members at the time collectively signed Mallikarjun Kharge’s nomination form. Even those who wanted me to contest ended up signing Kharge’s form, which sent a clear message—this was the party’s decision, and it was final."

"Some people thought I would withdraw my nomination, but I chose to stay in the race for two reasons. First, I wanted to prove that there is internal democracy within the party, which is beneficial for Congress. Second, it was an opportunity to amplify the voices of ordinary party workers who had spoken to me. Many of the issues I raised in my campaign were concerns brought forward by grassroots Congress workers."

"In the 140-year history of Congress, no one has lost an election with as many votes as I received. I got more votes than leaders like Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot when they contested. That gives me a small sense of pride. Of course, it was still a defeat. The party did not owe me anything for running, yet as a courtesy, they made me a Working Committee member."