Why Shashi Tharoor feels India's crisis-hit opposition Congress could learn from Britain's Conservative Party

India's grand-old party, the Indian National Congress, is going through an identity crisis. While there has been a leadership vacuum at the top, a series of exits of some top names have made things even more challenging.

In this situation, reports have fuelled speculation that Shashi Tharoor, a parliamentarian of the party from the southern state of Kerala, could run for the post of the president citing a piece that he has written for Malayalam daily 'Mathrubhumi' calling for "free and fair election" to pick the next president of the party which led India's freedom struggle. The UK-born politician has also cited the race for leadership in the British Conservative Party as an example that could be followed in the Congress.

The 66-year-old Tharoor, a former diplomat at the United Nations and a minister in India's former Manmohan Singh government, neither confirmed nor denied the rumours when reporters asked him whether he would contest the election set to be held in October.

"I have no comment to make. I accept what I've written in my article, which is that an election would be a good thing for the Congress party," Shashi was quoted as saying by reports.

Reports, however, said that Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, in the Lok Sabha or Lower House of the Indian parliament, is "exploring the possibility" of running for the Congress president but has not taken a final call yet.

"He has not made up his mind, but could take a call on it soon," Press Trust of India quoted sources as saying.

In his article, Tharoor said the "leadership vacuum at the top" had an adverse effect within the party and called that the election of a "fresh president" to begin the process of revitalisation that the Congress needs.

He also gave the recent example of Britain's ruling Conservative Party's leadership race which saw a global interest growing over it. Tharoor spoke about "a phenomenon we already witnessed in 2019, when a dozen candidates contested to replace Theresa May, and Boris Johnson emerged on top".

He said the Indian National Congress's polls would heighten a national interest in the party and "galvanise more voters towards the Congress party once again".

"For this reason, I hope that several candidates come forward to present themselves for consideration. Putting forward their visions for the party and the nation will surely stir public interest," he wrote in his piece.