Buoyed by the Congress-led United Democratic Front, or UDF’s, stellar show in the Kerala polls, Shashi Tharoor told NDTV that the result marks the return of the party and the momentum gained in the southern state will help the party in other parts of the country.
The UDF was leading in 89 seats at 6:30 pm, returning to power after a decade of Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front, or UDF.
“It (win) was more than we expected. It’s no small matter. It’s really remarkable. And I will say that it’s astonishing at various levels. Because, for example, the CPM has never lost 50 seats out of the 140. 50 seats they have never lost in the entire century. And suddenly they’re going to come in at 37 or 38, which means they have lost at least a dozen of seats that they had never thought they could lose. And that kind of victory is truly astonishing. And I do believe it marks a return of the Congress with a kind of mandate to bring about radical transformations,” Tharoor, who is Thiruvananthapuram MP, told NDTV.
“I would say that the Kerala result is the marking of a certain new momentum being gained for the Congress Party. I mean, if there is going to be a credible national opposition, it has to be built around the Congress. And for the Congress to get some wind in its sails, a victory in Kerala was imperative. The fact that it’s come in such an extraordinarily dramatic way with such really wonderful results is absolutely astonishing,” he said.
When asked about the Assam results, the Congress MP acknowledged that it was a “disappointment” for the party, adding “we all have to learn”.
#EXCLUSIVE | Congress MP @ShashiTharoor speaks to NDTV, says Congress has marked new momentum and it should not be taken for granted. Listen in.#ElectionResult2026 #ResultsWithNDTV @RahulKanwal @VishnuNDTV @TMVRaghav pic.twitter.com/vvhZotdjH6
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026
“The fact that Assam has been a disappointment and Tamil Nadu has been a surprise, as has Bengal. And we have to learn from all of that. But I do believe we have the capacity to learn. And with the momentum we’ve gained from Kerala, I think we have at least demonstrated that they can’t take us for granted. When you win a state that you haven’t ruled for 10 years, that means that the prospects of doing the same elsewhere will multiply. And we’re looking forward, for example, to Punjab again next year as a possibility for the Congress to again renew its momentum in the north as well,” he said.
The Congress MP said the Kerala win will help add “some significant opposition strength” in the year ahead. “In the interest of Indian democracy Indian democracy needs a credible opposition party,” he said.
Questioned about BJP’s prospects in Kerala, the Congress leader conceded it would be “foolish to dismiss” the party but said they will face a “cultural challenge”.
“I would be foolish to dismiss the BJP as an insignificant force. Obviously, a party with two or three seats in the assembly is not at the moment a significant factor. But I do realise that in Bengal in 2011, they had zero as they did till today in Kerala. Then in Bengal, they went from zero to eight in 2016, from eight to 77 in 2021, and from 77 to 190 odd today. And that suggests that they are capable of actually building up where they had no base at all. But Kerala, I think, poses a very different challenge for them. It’s what one might call a cultural challenge,” the MP said.
The BJP is leading in 204 seats in Bengal, long considered ‘Mission Impossible’, while the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool is leading in 83 seats.
When asked about the lessons that the Congress can draw from the Kerala win, the Congress MP said the party needs more “grassroots strength”.
“We need much more grassroots strength. We need to make sure that we actually exist at all the bottom levels from boots upwards. Every booth should have a Congress person or more. Every ward should have a good committee. And that’s that sort of thing that doesn’t always happen in some parts of northern India. On top of that, we must not lose sight of the whole notion of politics as social service between elections. Politics is not only about winning elections. It’s also about being there to help people in their daily tribulations of life,” he said.
What can the Congress learn from the BJP? NDTV asked the Congress leader.
“They are professional, meticulous, thorough, fiercely organised and very, very well resourced. But what we can do, I believe, to compensate for that is to be the kind of party that will actually be with people and work with people between elections,” he stressed.
Asked if he was a contender to be the Kerala Chief Minister, the Congress leader laughed it off.
“No, no, no. I’m a hardworking member of parliament in Delhi. And I have people to represent from Kerala whom I owe my allegiance to,” he said.
