'On the same page' : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor meets Rahul Gandhi, Kharge week after skipping AICC meet in Kerala 

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said he had a “very good, constructive and positive” meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting was held at Kharge’s office in Parliament and lasted for a couple of hours. 

Tharoor’s remarks came almost a week after his absence from a Congress meeting in Kerala last week had led to speculation about differences within the party. Speaking to ANI, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said he has always supported the Congress party and has taken part in election campaigns.

“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?...I have always campaigned for the party, where I have not campaigned?” Tharoor said.

With Kerala Assembly elections approaching, Tharoor was asked whether the meeting included talks on the Congress Chief Ministerial face and if he was interested in contesting. He said the issue was not discussed.

“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.

Tharoor thanked Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for what he called a “warm” discussion. In a post on X, he said, “Thanks to @INCIndia President @kharge ji and LS LoP @RahulGandhi ji for a warm and constructive discussion today on a wide range of subjects. We are all on the same page as we move forward in the service of the people of India.”

 

 

 

 

 

Tharoor had skipped an All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting in Kerala last week. He said he had informed the party leadership in advance that he would not be able to attend.

He said the meeting had already been postponed because of his earlier commitment to attend the Kerala Literature Festival. Tharoor had gone there to speak about his latest book, Sree Narayana Guru.

On January 24, Tharoor had said there were some “issues” between him and the party and that he wanted to discuss them with the leadership.

“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 had said.

Tharoor’s absence came a few days after he was reportedly “ignored” by Rahul Gandhi at the Congress ‘Mahapanchayat’ in Kochi on January 19. Rahul Gandhi entered the venue while Tharoor was speaking.

While Gandhi greeted several leaders on stage, he did not greet Tharoor. Tharoor later said the incident was a “deep insult” as Gandhi mentioned other leaders on stage but not him.

The Congress party denied any internal problems. It said Tharoor could not attend party meetings because of his prior commitment at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode.