Is Shashi Tharoor's Relationship with Congress Reaching a Breaking Point? MP Misses Key Party Meetings

Shashi Tharoor's relationship with the Congress party has deteriorated significantly in recent months.

New Delhi:

The increasingly tense relationship between senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and the party leadership appears to be approaching a critical juncture. The four-term Thiruvananthapuram MP has been notably absent from consecutive high-priority party meetings, fueling speculation about his future plans following heated exchanges with certain Congress colleagues.

The timing of these developments is particularly noteworthy, as Tharoor's home state of Kerala is scheduled for Assembly elections early next year. Analysts suggest that if Tharoor intends to depart from the Congress, he would likely make such a move before the upcoming election.

The senior politician has, however, downplayed the speculation, explaining that his absence was not deliberate avoidance but rather due to being in Kerala attending to his elderly mother.

Yesterday evening, Congress party elites convened at the residence of Sonia Gandhi, the party's parliamentary chairperson, to formulate strategy for the Winter Session that commenced today. The gathering included prominent figures such as party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

Tharoor was conspicuously absent from this meeting. He informed media outlets today that he had properly notified party leadership about his inability to attend. This marks the second crucial party meeting Tharoor has missed. Previously, on November 18, he was absent from a strategy session called by Gandhi and Kharge focused on challenging the government regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) matter.

For that earlier absence, Tharoor had cited illness as the reason. However, observers noted that he had attended a lecture delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the evening prior. His subsequent praise for Modi's speech, which contained criticisms of the Congress party, raised concerns among party members.

In Kerala, political parties including the Left, Congress, and others are currently preparing for upcoming local body elections. Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal also missed yesterday's meeting. Yet Tharoor's absence has garnered significantly more attention due to his pattern of taking positions that diverge from the party leadership's stance on critical issues.

Shashi Tharoor vs Congress

Tharoor was previously associated with the Congress rebel faction, commonly referred to as G-23, who authored a letter to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 demanding comprehensive reforms in party operations. Two years later, Tharoor challenged Kharge in an unsuccessful bid for the Congress presidency.

The rapid deterioration in his relationship with the party began earlier this year. Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April and India's Operation Sindoor in May, Tharoor emerged as one of the prominent voices articulating New Delhi's position. His forceful statements earned him praise even from critics, who commended him for putting national interests above party politics during a crisis. The Congress initially pledged complete support to the government's response to the terror attack, but later shifted to a more critical stance, questioning the government's actions.

Against this background, Tharoor's supportive comments regarding the government's approach created friction with his party colleagues. The tension was further exacerbated when the central government selected the former diplomat to lead an Indian delegation as part of international outreach efforts following Operation Sindoor. Notably, the Congress had not put forward Tharoor's name for this role.

Over recent months, Tharoor's public statements have frequently contradicted his party's official positions, prompting colleagues to repeatedly clarify that his views do not represent the Congress stance. Party chief Kharge has explicitly expressed displeasure regarding Tharoor's complimentary remarks about Prime Minister Modi. Kharge has emphasized that while Congress believes in "country first," certain individuals seem to prioritize "Modi first."