Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is exploring the possibility of running for the post of Congress president though he is yet to take a final call on it. The former Union Minister in the Congress-led UPA Government, however, maintained that reports about the possibility of him contesting for the party president's post were "only speculation".

Nevertheless, he said he would be able to clearly say about his candidature only after the election notification is announced. Tharoor exhorted many candidates to come forward to present themselves for consideration as putting forward their vision for the party and the nation will surely stir public interest.

At the backdrop of his party colleague Anand Sharma questioning the process of elections in the just-held CWC meeting, Tharoor called for a "free and fair" election. He also said an election to the top party post "is good for the party". The Congress Working Committee on Sunday decided to hold the election for the party's full-time president on October 17.

"There is only speculation. I have not announced anything. All I said is that there should be an election and that is good for the party," Tharoor said. “Let many candidates come forward and participate in election in democratically functioning party.  That is good for party," Thiruvananthapuram MP said responding to queries. In an article, he said ideally the party should have announced elections also for dozen seats on  CWC itself which are supposed to be elected.

"Allowing members of the party drawn from the AICC and PCC delegates to determine who will lead the party from these key positions, would have helped legitimize incoming set of leaders and give them a credible mandate to lead party," said Tharoor, who was among the group of 23 leaders who wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational reforms.

On the recent exit of party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tharoor wrote that the latest in a steady spate of departures has been fuelling incessant media speculation and a daily dose of obituaries for the party.

In turn, the Congress worker, who has already had to contend with the disappointment of the recent election results, risks further demoralisation, he said. "The exit of valued colleagues does not help. I personally regret these departures, because I would have wanted these friends to stay in the party and continue to fight to reform it," he said. "As a signatory of the so-called 'G-23' letter, I should say that it reflected concerns building up over many months among party members and well-wishers who wanted a re-energised Congress. These concerns were about party's functioning not its ideology or values. Our only intention was to strengthen and revive party, not to divide or weaken it," Tharoor wrote.