Tharoor said that his own view very simply is that as far as the principle is concerned he had demonstrated during the presidential elections that polls can have a very useful contribution in galvanising the party.
India
pti-PTI
Senior
Congress
leader
Shashi
Tharoor
on
Thursday
virtually
ruled
out
contesting
the
CWC
polls
if
the
party
decides
to
hold
them,
saying
he
is
not
considering
any
further
elections
after
having
fought
the
AICC
presidential
polls
and
it
is
“for
others
to
step
forward”.
In
an
exclusive
interview
with
PTI
on
the
Congress’ upcoming
plenary
session
in
Chhattisgarh’s
Raipur,
Tharoor
said
the
convention
comes
at
an
“inflection
point”
in
the
party’s
history
as
it
is
being
held
after
the
presidential
polls
and
the
Bharat
Jodo
Yatra,
and
ahead
of
the
2024
elections.
The
Lok
Sabha
MP
from
Thiruvananthapuram
said
the
plenary
could
not
have
come
at
a
more
opportune
time
and
gives
the
party
members
an
opportunity
to
focus
on
what
“we
have
gained” and
what
faces
the
party
in
terms
of
challenges
for
the
future.
Asked
if
it
was
essential
for
the
party
to
have
polls
for
the
Congress
Working
Committee
(CWC)
at
the
party’s
plenary
session
and
if
he
had
raised
this
issue
with
the
party
leadership,
Tharoor
said,
“I
had
made
the
point
that
elections
are
healthy
for
the
party
and
participated
in
one
election
myself
and
now
that
I
have
lost,
I
don’t
think
it
is
my
business
to
tell
the
party
leadership
what
to
do.
Let
them
take
the
steps
that
they
judge
are
appropriate.” He
stressed
the
majority
view
in
the
All
India
Congress
Committee
(AICC)
is
the
view
that
will
prevail.
“I
am
fairly
confident
that
if
a
majority
of
the
delegates
want
an
election
they
will
hold
one
and
if
the
majority
feels
that
they
would
rather
not
rock
the
boat
at
this
time
and
just
move
ahead,
then
that
too
will
be
a
possible
option,”
the
former
Union
minister
said.
“I
just
feel
that
by
having
contested
once,
making
my
point
and
not
winning
the
majority,
or
not
even
coming
close
to
the
majority
of
delegates,
I
have
in
a
sense
forfeited
the
right
to
keep
demanding
the
same
thing,”
he
said.
Tharoor
said
that
he
was
“stepping
back
a
little
bit”
from
the
demand
of
CWC
polls,
asserting
that
he
was
doing
so
not
because
he
was
withdrawing
his
words
but
because
he
had
made
his
point
and
it
was
now
for
those
who
won
the
presidential
polls
and
are
in-charge
of
the
party’s
fortunes
to
decide
on
it
in
consultation
with
the
majority
of
the
delegates.
Tharoor
said
that
his
own
view
very
simply
is
that
as
far
as
the
principle
is
concerned
he
had
demonstrated
during
the
presidential
elections
that
polls
can
have
a
very
useful
contribution
in
galvanising
the
party.
However,
he
said,
if
the
majority
of
the
party
prefers
otherwise
then
it
was
not
his
place
to
substitute
his
wishes
and
preferences
for
the
wishes
of
the
majority.
Asked
whether
he
would
contest
the
CWC
polls,
Tharoor
said,
“At
this
point,
I
am
not
considering
any
further
elections.
I
have
done
my
bit,
I
have
made
my
point.
I
think
it
is
for
others
to
step
forward
if
they
feel
that
is
the
way
forward.”
Pressed
further
on
if
he
may
later
consider
contesting
if
asked
by
his
supporters,
Tharoor
said
at
this
stage
there
was
no
announcement
regarding
the
CWC
polls
so
there
was
no
question
of
his
making
a
decision.
“If
at
all
they
are
announced,
my
instinct
is
that
I
have
already
done
my
contesting
as
it
were
and
that
I
should
leave
it
to
others.
But
certainly
I
will
talk
to
a
number
of
colleagues
in
the
party
if
there
are
polls
announced
and
there
are
colleagues
who
want
to
come
forward,
we
will
see
what
is
in
the
best
interest
of
the
party,”
Tharoor
said.
“Ultimately,
all
these
exercises
are
only
to
strengthen
the
party,
we
don’t
want
to
weaken
the
party
at
a
time
when
general
elections
are
one
year
away…we
will
do
what
is
best
to
strengthen
the
party,
including
choosing
not
to
fight
a
poll
if
that
is
the
sentiment
of
those
who
care
about
the
future
of
the
party,”
he
said.
Tharoor
contested
the
Congress
presidential
polls
last
October
but
lost
to
Mallikarjun
Kharge.
He,
however,
made
a
mark
by
getting
over
1,000
votes
of
PCC
delegates
despite
Kharge
being
seen
as
largely
backed
by
the
top
leadership
of
the
party.
According
to
party
sources,
members
of
the
Congress
Steering
Committee
would
meet
on
February
24
at
Raipur
in
Chhattisgarh
to
decide
on
whether
there
should
be
elections
to
the
CWC,
the
party’s
top
decision-making
body.
On
whether
holding
CWC
polls
would
complete
the
cycle
started
by
the
presidential
polls,
Tharoor
said
the
party
has
to
move
forward,
rejuvenate,
revive
some
of
its
dormant
organs
within
it
and
build
on
the
new
self-belief
and
the
new
levels
of
energy
apparent
when
the
Bharat
Jodo
Yatra
reached
its
climax
in
Srinagar.
Asked
about
the
reported
meeting
of
three
leaders
from
Kerala-K
Muraleedharan,
Benny
Behanan
and
M
K
Raghavan
—
with
Kharge
and
whether
they
expressed
backing
for
his
being
nominated
a
member
of
the
CWC,
Tharoor
said
he
was
not
present
for
any
such
meeting
and
would
not
like
to
comment
on
things
he
does
not
know
about.
Whether
he
is
expecting
a
nomination
to
the
CWC,
he
said,
“I
don’t
think
it
is
not
for
any
of
us
to
expect
or
not
expect.
I
have
spent
almost
14
and
a
half
years
in
the
party…so
far
the
issue
has
not
arisen.”
On
his
own
meeting
with
Kharge
last
week,
Tharoor
said
it
was
largely
about
the
All
India
Professionals
Congress
that
he
heads
and
some
other
issues
were
also
discussed.
Asked
whether
he
ever
felt
sidelined
or
marginalised
after
the
AICC
presidential
polls
last
year,
Tharoor
said,
“My
role
so
far
in
politics
has
been
fairly
clear.
I
am
MP
for
Thiruvananthapuram
which
is
an
important
responsibility
to
fulfill
everyday.
I
am
at
the
same
time
a
parliamentarian,
available
to
the
party
to
whatever
issue
they
want
me
to
speak
on.
I
am
the
chairman
of
AIPC
(All
India
Professionals’ Congress)
and
in
addition,
I
happen
to
chair
a
parliamentary
standing
committee.”
Those
have
been
my
portfolios
for
a
few
years
now
and
they
continue
to
remain
so,
he
said,
adding
that
there
has
been
no
change
in
them
for
the
better
or
for
the
worse
since
the
party’s
presidential
elections.
Tharoor,
who
has
been
named
as
convener
of
the
sub-group
on
international
affairs
for
the
Raipur
plenary,
said
the
panel
is
of
importance
as
the
Congress
has
been
a
“natural
party
of
governance” and
always
has
had
a
responsible
view
of
India’s
place
in
the
world.