Tharoor is undoubtedly the most charismatic candidate in the fray. Those outside the Congress, who supported him at the time of the United Nations secretary general's election and condemned the United States for vetoing him, are looking for an escape route by suggesting that there was no evidence that the veto came from the US.
Otherwise, how would they argue that Tharoor is a US favourite, planted in politics to advance imperialist machinations? Even then US ambassador gto the UN John Bolton's confession in his autobiography that he had cast the veto against Tharoor does not deter such allegations.
Asked as to why a consensus Indian candidate for the United Nations secretary general is not considered fit to enter the Lok Sabha, his opponents argue that an international civil servant, however good, is not equipped to represent the people.
An amusing parallel has been drawn between the elections at the UN and here. At the UN, Tharoor, whose first name means the moon, was beaten at the hands of another Moon, Ban Ki-moon. Here he faces his closest rival, whose name, Ramachandran Nair, can be translated as Rama 'Moon' Nair.
In the latest 'Moon-war,' as in the first one, Tharoor is far ahead in brilliance, but his opponent is hoping to repeat history.
Also see: Hard to imagine UN without Shashi Tharoor
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