'Everything fine': Shashi Tharoor cites prior commitments after skipping Congress' Ramlila Maidan rally

Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, after missing the 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally' at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, said on Monday that his absence was due to his trip abroad because of a prior commitment.

"Everything is fine," Tharoor said, adding, "I was abroad yesterday. It was a commitment I had made six months ago. From my side, everything is fine."

On Sunday, Congress held a 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, heightening the party's campaign against alleged electoral irregularities. The party intensified its campaign over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

Earlier, Shashi Tharoor had also skipped the meeting of Congress LS MPs chaired by Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi. According to party sources, Tharoor had already informed the party about his unavailability, and another senior Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari was also absent from the meeting. According to Shashi Tharoor's X timeline, he was at an event hosted by Prabha Khaitan Foundation in Kolkata last night.

In recent times, Tharoor has made headlines for skipping Congress meetings and praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the Ramnath Goenka Lecture.

Meanwhile, speaking to ANI over the Kerala local body elections results, Shashi Tharoor hailed the party's victory.

"They (BJP) have won in Thiruvananthapuram. But in all other places, the UDF and the Congress party alliance have got very good results," he said.

The BJP-led NDA scripted history in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where it has secured control of the corporation, ending the LDF's 40-year rule. Of the 101 wards in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the NDA secured 50, the LDF 29, the UDF 19, and two went to independent candidates.

BJP's victory comes as a shock to the Congress-led UDF and Left Parties, as the NDA continues to make inroads into their vote share, emerging as a third front in the state. Last Year, BJP's Suresh Gopi secured victory in Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress-led UDF emerged as the biggest winner in the heart of the battle, leading in 505 of the 941 Grama Panchayats as of 9 pm. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) suffered a setback, with a majority in only 340 Grama Panchayats. NDA led with 26, while AAP won three, according to the State Election Commission.

(With ANI inputs)