THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With a week left for the AICC president election, the state Congress is very anxious about the support Shashi Tharoor is getting. Even as the top leadership turns its back on Tharoor, support from unexpected quarters is promising, sources close to Tharoor said. There are 310 voters in Kerala- 285 KPCC and AICC members, 10 former PCC presidents and 15 parliamentary party representatives.
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15 people, including Youth Congress state vice president KS Sabarinadhan and Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan, who signed Tharoor's nomination papers, have taken a stand in favour of Tharoor. The state leadership is also counting that Tharoor will get a maximum of 50 votes from Kerala due to their influence. On the other hand, the supporters of Tharoor are confident that he will get more than 100 votes from the state. As it is a secret ballot, those who secretly support Tharoor can feel free to vote.

Even as the high command reiterates that there is no official candidate for the election, Mallikarjun Kharge is being presented as a high command-sponsored candidate. Most of the state Pradesh Congress Committees have also declared their support for Kharge. KPCC president K Sudhakaran, who initially called for a conscience vote, later changed his stance. Leaders, including Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, also support Kharge.

Shashi Tharoor is unhappy with the biased approach of the leadership. Indira Bhavan is the only polling booth in Kerala for elections. Voting will take place next Monday. Most of the voters came as group nominees or with the blessings of leaders. The leadership reckons that this will favour Kharge.

The fact that Shashi Tharoor is getting a lot of support, including through social media, is a headache for the state Congress leadership.

Shashi Tharoor's influence among the youth, technocrats and the upper middle class of Kerala cannot be ignored. However, senior leaders argue that Tharoor, who is not in harmony with the state leadership, is not capable of leading the Congress.