Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has acknowledged a substantive shift in the direction of the Indian National Congress, stating that the party “has become a much more, sort of, Left party than it used to be” as it seeks to respond to the divisive politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He made the remarks during a lecture titled “Radical Centrism: My vision for India” delivered on Thursday evening.
Tharoor asserted that tactical adjustments by the party have gradually taken on a broader ideological character. He recalled the centrist posture of the Congress under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, saying that during that phase — particularly between 1991 and 2009 — the party borrowed policy ideas from the earlier BJP-government and maintained a distinct centrist identity. He added that the earlier phase “arguably started changing” thereafter.
At the event, he clarified that his lecture was not intended to lay out immediate electoral tactics, but rather to explore convictions and ideology. He said, “My remarks were not about ‘nuts and bolts practical politics’ but convictions and ideology, where some gaps needed to be bridged.”
Tharoor’s comments suggest a bifurcation within the party’s self-understanding: on one side, the recognition that the Congress must counter rising polarisation; on the other, the acknowledgement that this has led the party to adopt positions that are more closely aligned with Left-of-centre ideology. He said, “Certainly … in the last few years in opposition, Congress has become much more of a Leftist party than it used to be in the earlier days. Whether that is tactical adjustment or philosophical conviction … remains to be seen.”
Observers interpret this statement as an admission of ideological recalibration intended to counter the BJP’s appeal. Analysts point out that the BJP’s dominance has forced opposition parties to re-evaluate conventional alignments, particularly in state elections where the Congress has entered into electoral alliances with Left parties. The shift therefore may reflect a strategic realignment as much as a change in core beliefs. A senior analyst commented that this “leftward drift may be as much about survival as sincerity”.
Internally, the lecture signals a more open debate about the Congress’s identity. Tharoor addressed the question of whether the Congress’s collaboration with Left parties amounted to “radical centrism in action” and said the term did not exactly align with his ideals, emphasising instead a vision of bridging ideological gaps rather than a purely centre-left programme.
The shift comes amid mounting pressure on the Congress to articulate a clearer ideological identity in the face of weakening electoral performance. The party’s strategy of Opposition unity, involving alliances with both centrist and left-of-centre parties, has drawn scrutiny over whether it dilutes the Congress’s historical brand as a big-tent party. Tharoor’s remarks could be read as a formal acknowledgement of that dilution.
However, some within the party view the tilt towards the Left with caution, fearing that it could narrow the party’s appeal. Critics argue that a pronounced Left identity may alienate moderate voters who found resonance with the Congress under its earlier centrist posture. One senior state-level leader noted that the shift “must not close off room for those who were comfortable in the broad middle”.
Tharoor also addressed the internal governance of the party, stating he does not intend to contest again for the office of the All India Congress Committee president unless circumstances are “very different”. He emphasised the necessity of term limits for office-bearers and of inner-party democracy, saying “nobody should hold office for an indefinite period of time in any party”.
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