Tharoor, a four-time Lok Sabha MP and member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) from Kerala, has reportedly conveyed his displeasure to senior party leaders, including KC Venugopal and Kerala in-charge Deepa Das Munshi, over the way he was treated. Sources suggest that the Kochi event acted as a final trigger after earlier instances of being sidelined by some state leaders.
Addressing Tharoor’s absence, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit remarked that all major leaders of the Kerala Congress would attend the meeting and implied that the participation of those “not important to the party or lacking influence” was less critical.
Tharoor’s office, however, cited prior commitments in Kozhikode related to the Kerala Literature Festival as the reason for his non-attendance. Party officials said he had informed the leadership of this schedule in advance.
This is not the first time Tharoor has missed Congress meetings. He was absent from the Strategic Group meeting on November 30, 2025, due to travel and family commitments, and missed the December 12 meeting of Congress MPs, reportedly attending a friend’s wedding in Kolkata. Earlier, he also skipped the November 18 session on voter list revision chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, citing ill health.
At the recent Lakshya 2026 Leadership Camp in Wayanad, efforts were made to resolve internal differences within the party. It was agreed that Tharoor would not contest the Kerala Assembly elections and would instead campaign statewide for the party. Despite this understanding, reports of internal dissent resurfaced following the Kochi event.
Tharoor has also attracted internal scrutiny for certain public statements and articles, including comments on India–Pakistan relations and diplomatic responses after the Pahalgam attack last year. Tharoor has consistently maintained that his positions align with the Congress’s broader stance and advocate for a bipartisan approach to foreign policy.
With the Kerala Assembly elections approaching, Tharoor’s absence from a key strategy meeting highlights ongoing tensions within the party’s state leadership and may influence electoral preparations in Wayanad and other constituencies.
