Shashi Tharoor skips Congress meeting yet again: What’s behind repeated absences, rising speculation

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was again absent from a high-level party meeting on Tuesday, this time held at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s residence in Delhi. The gathering, attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders including P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, Pramod Tiwari and Manish Tiwari, focused on preparations for the upcoming Parliament session, where the Union Budget and the G-RAM-G jobs guarantee scheme are expected to be key issues. According to sources cited by NDTV, Tharoor is currently in Dubai to attend a literature festival and is expected to return later in the night. The same sources reportedly he had informed the party of his unavailability in advance. This marks the second occasion in four days that Tharoor has missed a top-level Congress meeting. Last week, he did not attend a discussion on the Kerala Assembly elections. Initially, NDTV was told he would not be present. Later, sources close to him claimed he would join via video link, citing a prior commitment at a literature festival in Kochi. However, when the meeting began, Tharoor was again not in attendance. After that episode, Tharoor rejected claims that he had deliberately skipped the meeting, telling reporters that the matter had been settled internally and he would not comment publicly. Between November and December, Tharoor had also missed three party meetings, adding to the perception of a widening distance between him and the Congress leadership. Tensions, praise for the PM, and party Unease A former diplomat and a member of Parliament (MP) from Thiruvananthapuram since 2009, Tharoor has been perceived as being on uneasy terms with the party, particularly after remarks that appeared to appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aspects of the BJP government’s actions. These include comments related to the Prime Minister’s handling of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory military strikes on Pakistan. Such statements drew sharp reactions from within the Congress, with some party members openly suggesting Tharoor might be positioning himself for a move to the BJP. Tharoor has consistently denied such intentions. He told media, “It (praise for the Prime Minister) is not a sign of my leaping to join his party... as some people have, unfortunately, been implying. It is a statement of national unity...” Despite this, speculation resurfaced after Tharoor posted a selfie with India men’s cricket team coach and former BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, praising him for handling “the second-hardest job in India, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded by comparing criticism of Gambhir to opposition scrutiny of the Prime Minister, accusing the opposition of acting against national interests. Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress has been strained since he joined the G-23 group of leaders who, in 2022, wrote to Sonia Gandhi calling for internal reforms. CPI(M) rumours and Kerala political calculus Recent reports have also linked Tharoor to possible discussions with people associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), Kerala’s ruling party. When asked about these claims, Tharoor declined to engage, saying he had seen the reports but did not consider it appropriate to comment while abroad. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan dismissed the talk, calling it “mere speculation.” He added, “Tharoor continues to be a prominent leader of the Congress. He follows a different approach of regularly praising the BJP Prime Minister. In such a situation, I do not think rumours of him joining the CPI(M) are relevant.” Within the Congress, Kerala Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said he was unaware of any serious issue involving Tharoor. “He is a senior leader. If there are any concerns, they will be resolved,” Satheesan said. United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash echoed that view, stating Tharoor remains a Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and firmly within the party. Sources have been cited to suggest the Congress is wary of taking disciplinary action against Tharoor ahead of the Kerala election, given his popularity and influence among voters. There is also reported tension between Tharoor and national general secretary KC Venugopal, a close ally of Rahul Gandhi. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi

• Shashi Tharoor missed key Congress meeting due to prior commitments abroad.
• Tharoor's praise for PM Modi and BJP sparks speculation about his loyalties.
• Congress hesitates to discipline Tharoor before Kerala elections due to his influence.

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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was again absent from a high-level party meeting on Tuesday, this time held at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s residence in Delhi.

The gathering, attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders including P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, Pramod Tiwari and Manish Tiwari, focused on preparations for the upcoming Parliament session, where the Union Budget and the G-RAM-G jobs guarantee scheme are expected to be key issues.

According to sources cited by NDTV, Tharoor is currently in Dubai to attend a literature festival and is expected to return later in the night.

The same sources reportedly he had informed the party of his unavailability in advance. This marks the second occasion in four days that Tharoor has missed a top-level Congress meeting.

Last week, he did not attend a discussion on the Kerala Assembly elections.

Initially, NDTV was told he would not be present. Later, sources close to him claimed he would join via video link, citing a prior commitment at a literature festival in Kochi. However, when the meeting began, Tharoor was again not in attendance.

After that episode, Tharoor rejected claims that he had deliberately skipped the meeting, telling reporters that the matter had been settled internally and he would not comment publicly.

Between November and December, Tharoor had also missed three party meetings, adding to the perception of a widening distance between him and the Congress leadership.

Tensions, praise for the PM, and party Unease

A former diplomat and a member of Parliament (MP) from Thiruvananthapuram since 2009, Tharoor has been perceived as being on uneasy terms with the party, particularly after remarks that appeared to appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aspects of the BJP government’s actions.

These include comments related to the Prime Minister’s handling of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory military strikes on Pakistan.

Such statements drew sharp reactions from within the Congress, with some party members openly suggesting Tharoor might be positioning himself for a move to the BJP.

Tharoor has consistently denied such intentions. He told media, “It (praise for the Prime Minister) is not a sign of my leaping to join his party... as some people have, unfortunately, been implying. It is a statement of national unity...”

Despite this, speculation resurfaced after Tharoor posted a selfie with India men’s cricket team coach and former BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, praising him for handling “the second-hardest job in India, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded by comparing criticism of Gambhir to opposition scrutiny of the Prime Minister, accusing the opposition of acting against national interests.

Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress has been strained since he joined the G-23 group of leaders who, in 2022, wrote to Sonia Gandhi calling for internal reforms.

CPI(M) rumours and Kerala political calculus

Recent reports have also linked Tharoor to possible discussions with people associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), Kerala’s ruling party. When asked about these claims, Tharoor declined to engage, saying he had seen the reports but did not consider it appropriate to comment while abroad.

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan dismissed the talk, calling it “mere speculation.” He added, “Tharoor continues to be a prominent leader of the Congress. He follows a different approach of regularly praising the BJP Prime Minister. In such a situation, I do not think rumours of him joining the CPI(M) are relevant.”

Within the Congress, Kerala Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said he was unaware of any serious issue involving Tharoor. “He is a senior leader. If there are any concerns, they will be resolved,” Satheesan said.

United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash echoed that view, stating Tharoor remains a Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and firmly within the party.

Sources have been cited to suggest the Congress is wary of taking disciplinary action against Tharoor ahead of the Kerala election, given his popularity and influence among voters.

There is also reported tension between Tharoor and national general secretary KC Venugopal, a close ally of Rahul Gandhi.

Political observers note that Tharoor is believed to be eyeing a larger role, possibly even the chief minister’s post, should the Congress-led UDF return to power -- a factor that may explain both his periodic barbs at the party and the leadership’s restrained response.