New Delhi: Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has decided not to attend a Congress high command meeting in Delhi scheduled for Friday, sources say, marking another episode of apparent discord between him and the party leadership ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, according to various media reports.
The meeting, convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, was intended to review the party’s strategy and preparations for the forthcoming polls in Kerala. However, Tharoor — a four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) — will stay away from it.
According to party sources in Kerala, Tharoor’s decision stems from his displeasure over his treatment at a recent ‘Mahapanchayat’ event in Kochi, where he felt he was not accorded due respect, reported India Today. During the event, changes in protocol and speaker arrangements reportedly meant Tharoor’s remarks were cut short before a scheduled speech by Rahul Gandhi, and his name was omitted when Gandhi addressed the gathering. Tharoor perceived this as a slight, particularly given his seniority in the party.
After walking out of the event under strained circumstances, Tharoor has expressed to close associates that he felt “insulted” and sidelined by the leadership, reinforcing perceptions of an uneasy relationship with the party hierarchy. Efforts by both the state leadership and the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) to reach out to him ahead of the Delhi meeting reportedly went unanswered by Tharoor’s office.
Political Implications
Tharoor’s absence comes at a critical juncture, as the Congress seeks to consolidate its position in Kerala ahead of elections scheduled later this year. His decision also adds to a string of recent absences from key party meetings, which included national and parliamentary strategy sessions, prompting discussion inside political circles about his alignment with the party’s direction.
Within the party, reactions have been mixed. Some leaders have publicly downplayed Tharoor’s non-attendance, suggesting that those attending are the ones most “relevant” to current electoral preparations, an apparent reference to his exclusion from the meeting. Tharoor is expected to attend the Kerala Literature Festival later on Friday, indicating that his schedule for the day will be occupied with other commitments.
The Congress has not issued a formal public statement explaining Tharoor’s absence or responding to the reported internal tensions.
