Tharoor Skips Kerala Strategy Meet, Citing Prior Festival Commitments
Tharoor Skips Kerala Strategy Meet, Citing Prior Festival Commitments
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor misses a key Kerala leadership strategy gathering in Delhi, saying he had prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, stoking talk of a rift within the party.
Top Congress leaders from Kerala met in New Delhi to shape the strategy for the upcoming assembly polls, with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal among those taking part, along with Kerala leaders VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph and Shafi Parambil. Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor skipped the preparatory discussions, citing prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode. The absence prompted questions about his standing, though party insiders stressed there was no discord to report.
Sources close to Tharoor said he was “very upset” at what he perceived as the treatment meted out to him, a claim the party has not publicly corroborated. The party, meanwhile, emphasized unity ahead of the 2026 state polls and did not indicate any rift or reshuffling in the Kerala unit. The Delhi meeting focused on strategic questions for the KPCC, including whether Lok Sabha MPs should contest assembly elections, a topic that did not reach a decision at this stage.
Tharoor’s office cited his prior commitments in Kozhikode as the reason for his absence, but the broader context of his relationship with party leadership has been the subject of much discussion in political circles. The Kerala Literature Festival, which drew Tharoor away, remains a prominent event, often serving as a platform for authors and lawmakers alike, providing a different setting from the high-stakes atmosphere of party strategy sessions.
As Kerala gears up for elections, Tharoor’s absence from the Delhi meeting adds another layer to ongoing conversations about leadership, inclusion, and the path forward for the party in the state.
