Shashi Tharoor rejects Congress exit buzz, backs Rahul Gandhi: 'Not going anywhere'

Shashi Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi. (File photo)

• Shashi Tharoor affirms commitment to Congress, dismisses exit speculation
• Tharoor met Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, calling talks positive and constructive
• He will lead Congress in Kerala campaign and praised Rahul Gandhi's leadership

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Amid speculation about internal differences, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has firmly dismissed any suggestion of leaving the party and underlined his continued commitment to the organisation.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the Thiruvananthapuram MP made it clear that his political future remains within the Congress.

When asked directly whether he was considering quitting, Tharoor responded, "I am in the Congress and I am not going anywhere. I will be part of the Kerala campaign and work for the UDF's victory. I will be in the forefront leading the Congress in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections."

Questioning why his allegiance is repeatedly doubted, he added, "What is the need to tell that I will remain in the Congress? Why is such a question being asked only to me? I will remain firmly with the Congress".

Tharoor also said his larger priority lies with national issues. "I do not want to talk politics; I want to speak for the nation. I have been saying that since 2009," he remarked.

Meeting with top leadership

The Congress leader described his interaction with Kharge and Gandhi as positive and constructive. "We had a discussion with my two party leaders, the LoP and the Congress president. We had a very good, constructive, positive discussion. All is good and we are moving together on the same page. What more can I say," he told reporters.

He later echoed the same sentiment on X, thanking both leaders for the “warm and constructive discussion” and sharing a photograph from the meeting, which took place at Kharge’s office in Parliament.

Tharoor also rejected any suggestion that the talks involved ambitions for higher office in Kerala. “No, that was never discussed. I am not interested in being a candidate for anything. At the moment, I am already an MP, and I have the trust of my voters from Thiruvananthapuram. I have to look after their interests in Parliament, that is my job,” he said.

Praise for Rahul Gandhi, background to rift buzz

Tharoor publicly lauded Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, saying, "He is a leader with a clear political stand. He is a leader who opposes communalism".

He clarified that while the party line is paramount, he occasionally voices individual views. "I do not express any other opinion on matters where the party has a stand. In some situations, I express my personal opinion. When I see good things in development matters, I point them out," he explained.

Recent reports had suggested unease after Tharoor skipped a key AICC meeting on Kerala poll preparations and felt sidelined at a Kochi event. On January 24, he acknowledged the existence of unresolved matters, stating, "Whatever issues there are, I would have to discuss them with the party leadership, and I look forward to the opportunity to do so. I'm not entering into this issue in public at all."

He also maintained that he had informed the party in advance about missing the meeting and preferred to raise concerns internally.