Though he lost the race to become the president of the grand old party, for Thiruvananthapuram Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor, 2022 ended on a high note with his stock rising in Kerala and on Monday, it appears 2023 has opened on a bright note.
The powerful Nair Service Society (NSS) rolled out a red carpet to him at their headquarters at Changnacherry in Kottayam district.
Hindus constitute more than 50 per cent of the 3.25 crore population and in numbers even though the Hindu Ezhava community is slightly ahead of the Hindu Nair community (NSS), it's the latter which is deemed very powerful.
For long the NSS soft corner towards the Congress was well known, but in the past several years, they followed the policy of maintaining 'equidistant' stand to the traditional political fronts in Kerala.
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One reason why Tharoor's visit on the day of the Mannam Jayanthi celebrations gathers significance is that this is the first time when the NSS has has invited a Congress leader on the Jayanthi celebrations of its stalwart leader - Mannathu Padmanabhan Pillai who was its general secretary for 31 long years before passing away in 1970.
For the NSS - the Mannam Jayanthi celebrations is of prime importance and the last Congress leader who was invited for it was A.K. Antony a decade ago.
Incidentally it is during the election time that practically all political leaders make a beeline to the NSS headquarters to have a meeting with Sukumaran Nair who has been at the helm of the NSS for a while now.
Recently Sukumaran Nair was deeply upset with the present Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan and the former said during the election time that he sought the support of the NSS and after winning he has disowned it.
It was known to all that had it not been the strong influence of Sukumaran Nair, that the then state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala was given the Home portfolio by the then Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Tharoor, who is a Nair, reacted on Monday and said that he has been here a few times in the past but this was the first time that he is coming on Mannam Jayanthi day.
"I am very happy to be here," said Tharoor.
Ever since Tharoor decided to contest the presidential poll, barring a section of the Congress leaders, his popularity among all the allies of the Congress -led UDF had gone up hugely and not to mention about the support he received from the people here.
