Congress MP Shashi Tharoor backtracks on his stance on Kerala's industrial growth
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 2 (PTI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday backtracked on his stance regarding industrial growth in Kerala, stating that the state needs more MSME start-ups — not just on paper.
Sharing a news report from an English daily on 'X', Tharoor expressed disappointment over the state's start-up ecosystem, saying it was not as promising as reported.
"Dismayed to see that the Kerala start-up entrepreneurship story is not what’s been reported," he posted.
The news report he shared claimed that over 42,000 MSMEs had shut down in Kerala over the past nine years, resulting in the loss of employment for at least 1,03,764 workers.
"The only silver lining is that at least the GoK’s claims point to the right intentions. We need more MSME start-ups— and not just on paper. Kerala must head this way!" his post added.
However, State Industries Minister P Rajeeve dismissed the news report as "baseless."
"I provided a detailed reply in the Assembly on February 10. Recently, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal stated in Parliament that 1,700 MSMEs shut down in Kerala over the past four years," he said.
Rajeeve further pointed out that while 30 per cent of MSMEs in the country shut down within their first year, the figure in Kerala was only 15 per cent.
He alleged that the report was published with ulterior motives, as it did not cite the source of its figures.
Tharoor’s recent remarks on Kerala's industrial growth sparked controversy within the Congress state unit.
The Congress Working Committee member ruffled feathers in the party after writing an article in an English daily praising the industrial policy of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala.
Notably, the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s post came just two days after the Congress leadership held a brainstorming session with Kerala leaders at the party headquarters in New Delhi to strategise for next year’s Assembly polls.
Dismayed to see that the Kerala start-up entrepreneurship story is not what’s been reported. The only silver lining is that at least the GoK’s claims point to the right intentions. We need more MSME start-ups — and not just on paper. Kerala must head this way! pic.twitter.com/tVc22YWyGl
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 2, 2025
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
