Congress rift in Kerala? Shashi Tharoor opts out Of high-level meet
Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor will not attend a crucial meeting convened by the party high command on Friday to review poll preparations and the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) prospects ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections.
The meeting, called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, will be attended by top party leaders, including the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and the Leader of the Opposition. Tharoor’s absence has drawn attention amid reports of internal discontent within the party’s Kerala unit.
Tharoor’s decision follows allegations that he was ill-treated by the state Congress leadership and sidelined during the ‘Mahapanchayat’ organised in Ernakulam during Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Kochi. Sources said the perceived slight has left the Thiruvananthapuram MP deeply upset.
Although senior leaders from the Kerala Congress and the party’s central leadership reportedly attempted to reach out to him, Tharoor is said to have remained unresponsive. Instead, he has chosen to attend the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode on Saturday.
No ambition for Assembly polls
Leaders close to Tharoor said the controversy was avoidable, noting that he had already conveyed to the party leadership that he had no desire to contest the upcoming Assembly elections and was fully committed to working for the Congress.
“The ball is now with the high command,” a senior leader said. “Tharoor enjoys strong support among youth, professionals and the urban middle class in Thiruvananthapuram — a segment that the BJP is also actively trying to tap.”
The leader added that the situation poses a challenge for the Congress-led UDF, especially given that the alliance currently holds just one MLA seat out of 14 in the Thiruvananthapuram district.
Tharoor’s absence from the high-profile meeting is being seen as a sign of growing unease within the Kerala Congress, even as the party prepares for a critical electoral battle in the state.
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