People from across the social spectrum will greet the former MoS at the T'puram airport on his first visit to constituency since ouster; the beleaguered MP will also meet key Congressmen to drum up support
People from across the social spectrum will greet the former MoS at the T'puram airport on his first visit u00a0to constituency since ouster; the beleaguered MP will also meet key Congressmen to drum up support
Though eased out of office on account of the Kochi scandal, Dr Shashi Tharoor, the erstwhile Minister of State for External Affairs, will have a 1,000-odd crowd of Malaya-lees from across the social spectrum waiting to welcome him in his home state when his Indian Airlines flight touches down at the Thiruvananthapuram airport on Saturday.
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| LOCAL HERO: Posters like this one will be put up across the rally route along with flex boards screaming welcome in Malayalam and Talastanathinda Viksanayakannu Swagatam (a warm welcome to the person who has ensured development of the state's capital) |
Receiving the beleagured Congress MP will be members of the District Congress Committee (DCC), residents associations, cricket clubs, Kerala Students Union and around 25,000 professionals from the Techno Park.
Plans are also afoot to take the MP in an open motorcar, with his supporters and friends following him in cars and on bikes, in a rally for the entire six-kilometre stretch from the airport to the DCC office, said officials from Tharoor's Thiruvananthapu-ram office.
Hectic schedule
Tharoor will address people at the airport and at the DCC auditorium, which can accommodate 750 people. He will be addressing district, Mandalam sub-committee and ward committee presidents and office bearers of the Kerala Congress, the officials said.
At noon, Tharoor is scheduled to visit the old Congress warhorse, former chief minister K Karunakaran, at his residence in Peroorkada. He will also meet another senior Congressman and leader of the Opposition, Oomen Chandy, at Jagathy.
Speculation is rife that Tharoor is getting closer to the Chandy group of the Congress as Chandy, also a former Kerala chief minister, is the most preferred candidate for the next CM's post if the party is voted to power in 2011.
The Congress in Kerala is split into three broad groups, one under Chandy, who is known for his grassroot-level influence, the second under Ramesh Chennithala, who is Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, and another under Vayalar Ravi, Cabinet Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs.
It is expected that Tharoor, who has found acceptance and wields influence over a large swathe of the middle class youth and professional community of Kerala, can change group equations in the Kerala Congress by joining hands with Chandy.
Press interactionTharoor has also been invited by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club for a Meet-the-Press programme. He is reported to have said, "I need to tell the local media what happened (with regard to his resignation) as they are the people who can take my message to my people." Tharoor will not address the national media unless he talks to people in his constituency.
"Tharoor is Thiruvanan-thapuram's pride, for he is the first Central Minister from the state's capital post independence. People connect well with him. He won the seat by a record margin of 99,998 votes in his first ever political contest," said a senior party leader. Tharoor also managed to garner votes from supporters of the Left and the BJP for his image cuts across party lines.
As is his routine, Tharoor will stay in his apartment at Vazhuthacaud with his mother.
No sweatA tongue-in-cheek look at how Shashi Tharoor will be welcomed in Kerala:
>>With a band called The Backwater Boys belting out a welcome number for him at the airport.
>>With the Kerala Banana Wafers Association sending him a hamper saying: you are not a-kela, we are with you, Tharoor.
>>With Kerala's legendary athletes, P T Usha, Shiny Wilson, Valsamma running alongside his car, overtaking it and shouting: Forget cricket, try athletics Shashi.
>>With several lean, young, sinewy men leaping onto Tharoor's car and practicing kalaripayattu ufffd a great way to attack Tharoor's dissidents and defend him, even better than Twitter.
>>With makers of refrigerators, air-conditioners and fans in Kerala arriving in hordes at the airport saying: Tharoor keep cool, no sweat (equity) with our products.
12 lakh
Shashi Tharoor's estimated voter base in his constituency ofu00a0 Thiruvananthapuram
99,998
The record margin of votes u00a0by which Tharoor won the Thiruvananthapuram seat
