Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stated that the United Democratic Front is clearly ahead in the Kerala Assembly elections, though not for an overwhelming win. In an interview with The Hindu on April 6, 2026, he emphasized securing a comfortable majority for effective governance amid calls for change after 10 years of Left Democratic Front rule.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress Working Committee member, gave an interview to The Hindu a day before campaigning ended for the Kerala Assembly elections. He noted strong unity within the party despite fielding defected leaders from other parties. 'Everybody has now rallied behind,' Tharoor said, highlighting no backbiting or rebels.
From the ground, Tharoor sensed support for the UDF. 'It may not be an overwhelming win, but we are clearly ahead,' he remarked, with voters in a mood for change. While some leaders predict 85 to 100 seats, he stressed a comfortable majority matters most, unlike the close 2011 contest.
Tharoor focused on key issues like Kerala's poor financial health, ranked 15th out of 18 major states by NITI Aayog. He criticized the LDF for turning the Kerala model into a 'debt model,' spending more on debt servicing and pensions than development. Solutions include opening the state to business in AI, robotics, ports, space tech, and reforming higher education.
He questioned the Left's credibility on development due to past protests and exaggerated startup claims, which he once supported but later recanted. On the BJP, Tharoor predicted no significant gains, calling it a straight UDF-LDF fight, with BJP vote share unlikely to exceed 12%. He alleged tacit understandings between BJP and CPI(M) to split anti-incumbency votes.
