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News India Live, Digital Desk: in Kerala 9 April 2026 Shashi Tharoor has made his position clear on the tussle within the Congress regarding ‘Chief Minister’s face’ before the elections to be held on 27th. Tharoor clarified that since he is not contesting the assembly elections this time not fightingTherefore, the question of becoming the Chief Minister does not arise.
3 big things about Tharoor’s statement
“I’m not in the race”: Tharoor said, “I am not a contender for the post of Chief Minister. The Chief Minister should be someone who is an elected MLA, and I am not contesting the assembly elections.”
Role of Star Campaigner: He told that he will campaign for UDF in the entire state instead of being limited to one constituency. He said, “My job is to ‘campaign’ for the party, not to ask for ‘post’.”
Renunciation of Parliamentary Records: Tharoor will be absent from the last two weeks of the current session of Parliament for election campaigning. He said that his record of 100% attendance will have to be broken this time due to the election challenge.
Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: At a Glance (Election Schedule)
According to the Election Commission, the election bugle has sounded in Kerala:
Voting date: 9 April 2026 (in one phase).
Results (Counting): 4 May 2026.
Main competition: Ruling LDF (LDF – Pinarayi Vijayan) vs UDF (UDF – Congress alliance).
Controversy and Survey (Background Context)
This statement of Tharoor is important because:
Public Survey: Last year (July 2025), Tharoor was nominated for the post of Chief Minister by UDF in the ‘Kerala Vibe Vote Survey 2026’. 28.3% She was said to be the most popular face with , which she herself shared on social media.
Struggle within the party: Senior leaders of Kerala Congress (like K. Sudhakaran) have also expressed their desire for the post of Chief Minister, due to which there were reports of internal strife in the party. With Tharoor’s withdrawal, the ‘face’ fight within the party may calm down a bit.
