Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent commentary on the post-election cooperation observed between Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani has garnered unexpected support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Tharoor expressed admiration for the democratic principle of uniting for national interest after electoral battles, a sentiment echoed by BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla. Poonawalla used the occasion to subtly question Rahul Gandhi, suggesting the Congress party should adopt a more democratic, less adversarial approach and avoid acting like ‘sore losers’.
Tharoor, representing Thiruvanthapuram, took to social media platform X to share his thoughts. He stated, “This is how democracy should work. Fight passionately for your point of view in elections, with no rhetorical holds barred. But once it’s over, & the people have spoken, learn to cooperate with each other in the common interests of the nation you are both pledged to serve. I would love to see more of this in India — and am trying to do my part.” His remarks highlighted the importance of post-election collaboration for the betterment of the nation, drawing a parallel to the interactions between Trump and Mamdani.
Poonawalla responded by posting, “Once again Shashi Tharoor reminds Congress to put India First not Parivar. But will Rahul Gandhi get the message? One more Fatwa loading against Shashi???” This response pointedly aimed at the Congress leadership, implying internal dissent or a failure to embrace Tharoor’s perspective. This isn’t the first time Tharoor’s statements have diverged from the official Congress line, as he previously praised L.K. Advani on his 98th birthday, downplaying the impact of the Ram Rath Yatra. The Congress party had then distanced itself, stating Tharoor spoke only for himself. The original context for Tharoor’s remarks was the meeting between Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who displayed a conciliatory tone despite prior animosity.