We've got some wind in our sails nationally by winning Kerala: Shashi Tharoor

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor discusses the Congress party's decisive victory in Kerala and the broader national political landscape. Reacting to the United Democratic Front securing 102 out of 140 seats in Kerala, Tharoor states, "We've got some wind in our sails nationally by winning a state that we haven't ruled in ten years." He acknowledges the Bharatiya Janata Party's electoral successes in Assam and West Bengal but dismisses the notion of a hegemonic era for the ruling party. Addressing the defeat of the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal after fifteen years, Tharoor points out that anti-incumbency played a major role. He warns that the BJP will face similar challenges at the centre, noting, "The Indian voter has a limited tolerance for incumbents, particularly incumbents who manifest any sign of either arrogance or complacency." Tharoor emphasises that each Indian state has a complex and distinct political narrative, rejecting the idea that recent state election results guarantee momentum for the BJP in the 2029 national elections.