Congress mulls outreach to Tharoor after Kerala meeting absence

The Congress leadership is likely to reach out to senior party leader Shashi Tharoor after his absence from a recent brainstorming session on the Kerala Assembly elections triggered speculation about his unease within the party, sources told Times of India.

According to party sources, the leadership is considering inviting the Thiruvananthapuram MP for discussions to address his concerns and ensure unity ahead of the high-stakes state polls.

The controversy erupted after Tharoor skipped a meeting convened by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) last week to chalk out strategy for the upcoming Kerala elections. The meeting was chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and was attended by key party functionaries from the state.


Tharoor, who was in Kozhikode attending the Kerala Literature Festival at the time, said he had informed the party in advance about his inability to attend the session. However, he also acknowledged that he has certain issues with the party leadership that he wishes to discuss, and confirmed that some media reports suggesting his unhappiness were accurate.

Sources told TOI the party leadership believes it is important to engage Tharoor, given his public standing and influence among voters in Kerala, as the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) seeks to capitalise on recent electoral gains. The opposition alliance is hopeful of dislodging the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), buoyed by its strong performance in local body elections last month.

At the same time, Tharoor continues to face resistance from sections within the party organisation, with some leaders accusing him of occasionally taking positions that diverge from the Congress line and being perceived as soft on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The developments have unsettled the Kerala Congress unit, which had shown signs of renewed cohesion in recent months. Tharoor had actively participated in party programmes and reiterated his alignment with the party’s stance on key issues, making his absence from the AICC meeting a setback to the fragile truce. (With inputs from TOI)