Shashi Tharoor, a Congress Member of Parliament, has shared a public survey projecting him as the leading candidate for the Chief Ministerial post from the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala ahead of the 2026 state elections. The survey, conducted by Kerala Vote Vibe, indicates that 28.3% of respondents view Tharoor as the preferred Chief Ministerial face within the UDF. However, this move has sparked internal conflict within the Kerala Congress party. Senior Congress leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala and Muraleedharan, have dismissed the survey as "cooked up" and criticized Tharoor for sharing it without party consensus. Chennithala emphasized that the Chief Minister will be a nominee if the UDF comes to power, implying that such surveys are not decisive. The dispute has escalated into a public feud, with some Congress MPs accusing Tharoor of undermining party unity and even labeling him a "BJP parrot." Despite the backlash, Tharoor's growing popularity as a potential CM candidate has raised questions about his ambitions and influence within the UDF, as well as the party's internal dynamics ahead of the upcoming polls.