THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor MP's moves to take hold of the state Congress leadership with the help of the religious and community leaders are once again causing unrest in the party.

Tharoor is trying to become active in Kerala by calculating that he can secure support inside and outside the party by using the special image he gained after the AICC president election. Tharoor's move to start a tour from Malabar without informing the party leadership initially created an uproar in the party. In the second phase, he strategically chose the community appeasement way. Dissatisfaction arose within the Congress after Tharoor hinted that he was interested in contesting the next assembly elections and becoming a chief ministerial candidate. The leadership assesses that Tharoor's move by seeking the help of community leaders, without giving any value to the party, will create a crisis for the party.

The resentment of the leadership towards Tharoor is evident from Opposition Leader VD Satheesan's response that it is up to the party and not individuals to decide their candidature. UDF convener MM Hassan also said the same. Both Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala, who disagree on many things since the change of leadership after the last assembly elections, are unhappy with Tharoor's moves.

Shashi Tharoor, who started his tour by interacting with various Muslim community leaders and Muslim League leadership in Malabar, later met with Catholic bishops. NSS general secretary Sukumaran Nair's remark praising Tharoor on Mannam Jayanti became controversial.

Tharoor's public acceptance faded after he got confined to the Nair brand. He met the Orthodox Church head the other day to overcome this. The Orthodox Church head supported Tharoor. Tharoor also visited the CSI Bishop and the tomb of St.Kuriakos Elias Chavara. While the A Group of the Congress supports Tharoor, the I Group does not favour him. K Muraleedharan openly supported Tharoor.