Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday skipped a meeting convened by the party high command in Delhi to review preparations for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, triggering speculation about unease within the party.
Tharoor’s absence led to buzz in political circles that he was unhappy with Rahul Gandhi over what was seen as a lack of respect. However, Congress sources later clarified that Tharoor had sought and received permission from the high command to stay back in Kerala.
According to party sources, Tharoor chose to remain in Thiruvananthapuram, his parliamentary constituency, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a road show and addressed a public rally on Friday.
Earlier, sources had indicated that Tharoor skipped the Delhi meeting after feeling “insulted” at a Mahapanchayat event in Kochi, which was also attended by Rahul Gandhi. They claimed he was upset with both the state and central leadership of the Congress and had conveyed his displeasure to close associates.
At the Kochi event, confusion reportedly arose over the seating arrangement and speaking order. Tharoor was initially informed that only Rahul Gandhi would speak after him, but several other leaders addressed the gathering later. The deviation from the announced schedule was perceived as a public slight, particularly given Tharoor’s seniority in the party.
Sources said the incident added to Tharoor’s dissatisfaction, especially as it was seen as a breach of protocol regarding the order of speakers. During his address at the Mahapanchayat, Rahul Gandhi also did not mention Tharoor by name, an omission that drew attention among party workers.
The episode has since sparked discussions within the Congress on internal discipline and the treatment of senior leaders. The party has not issued any official statement on Tharoor’s reported discomfort or his decision to skip the Kerala elections meeting.
Later in the day, Congress sources reiterated that Tharoor had taken prior approval from the high command to remain in Kerala in view of the Prime Minister’s programme in his constituency.
PM attacks Congress in Kerala
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega road show in Thiruvananthapuram and launched multiple development initiatives. He rolled out the PM SVANidhi Credit Card and disbursed PM SVANidhi loans to one lakh beneficiaries. The Prime Minister also flagged off four new train services, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains and one passenger train.
Addressing a rally, PM Modi launched a sharp attack on the Left and the Congress over corruption and appealed to voters to give the NDA an opportunity in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Switching briefly to English at the end of his speech, he said, “Now is the time for Viksit Keralam. Now is the time for an NDA government.”