Arif Mohd Khan in one corner, Shashi Tharoor in the other could remain Kerala’s 2023 newsmakers

Governor Khan looks unlikely to climb down in his confrontation with the LDF govt; MP Tharoor seems as determined not to let fellow Congress leaders stand in way of his ambitions

Written by Shaju Philip

Thiruvananthapuram | Updated: December 31, 2022 04:26 PM IST

3 min read

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. (Express photos)

Listen to this article

Your browser does not support the audio element.

The fight between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the CPI(M)-led government, which began in 2022, is slated to dominate Kerala politics in the coming months of 2023. Earlier this month, the Assembly passed a Bill to divest the Governor of his position as the ex-officio chancellor of universities in the state. The Bill is pending with the Raj Bhavan, with speculation rife that the combative Khan could send the legislation to Parliament rather than clear it.

In the tussle, the CPI(M) has been successful to some extent in projecting Khan as an “RSS agent”, trying to “saffronize” the state’s education sector. The aggression has even forced the Congress-led UDF, initially reluctant to avoid being seen with the ruling party, to register support for the government move against the Governor.

Editorial | Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s battle with Kerala government, media

For the Congress, the biggest question will be the next move of party MP Shashi Tharoor who, after defiantly staying in the race for party national president, has now made clear his intention to become more active in state politics.

Amidst his growing profile and rising popularity, Tharoor will hit the new year running, having been invited as chief guest to a January 2 event of the upper-caste Nair Service Society. Given the entrenched party state leadership’s uneasiness regarding Tharoor, it would be interesting to watch how the Congress contains the erudite leader.

The Congress also has another unrest brewing, in the form of long-standing ally Indian Union Muslim League. The CPI(M) has been aggressively wooing the IUML which, wary of the BJP’s rise, seems to be considering the Left as a more viable option to contain it.

Must Read | CPM leader fishes in UDF waters, calls IUML ‘secular’; Cong sees red, League ‘happy’ with remark but says staying on

The Pinarayi Vijayan government has met several demands of the Muslim community, regarding recruitment in the Wakf Board to ditching a gender neutral uniform idea for schools.

Securing the IUML’s support would help the CPI(M) make up somewhat for its eroding base among the Christians. The BJP, in turn, has been wooing the Christians, playing on their fears over “growing Islamic fundamentalism” in the state.

Tags:

Arif Mohammed Khan Kerala CPM Pinarayi Vijayan Political Pulse Shashi Tharoor