Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Meets Rahul Gandhi And Mallikarjun Kharge, Signals Unity After Speculation Over Congress Ties

New Delhi: Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor, whose future in Congress has recently been the subject of speculation, met LoP Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday and said “we are all on the same page”.

The nearly hour-long meeting held in Kharge’s chamber in the Parliament complex was also attended by Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal. Before the huddle, Tharoor said there was “nothing unusual” about meeting his own party leaders. “I am going to attend Parliament right now. When it happens, I will let you know,” he said.

After the meeting, Tharoor posted on the social media platform X, thanking Gandhi and Kharge for what he described as a “warm and constructive discussion today on a wide range of subjects.” He added, “We are all on the same page as we move forward in the service of the people of India.”

The meeting assumed significance amid reports of strained ties between Tharoor and the Congress leadership. The Thiruvananthapuram MP had reportedly been unhappy with some party leaders in Kerala, accusing them of sidelining him. He was also said to be upset over an incident last week in Kochi, where Rahul Gandhi allegedly ignored him on stage during a party event.

In recent months, the Congress had publicly criticised Tharoor for skipping at least four party meetings, praising the Narendra Modi government and the Prime Minister on several occasions, and attending events organised by the Centre where even Gandhi and Kharge were not invited.

On Wednesday, Tharoor acknowledged that he had differences with the party but maintained that he had never gone against the Congress line. “All I can say is that there are issues which I need to take up with my own party leadership and not in a public forum. I will be going to Delhi for Parliament and get an opportunity to make my concerns very clear and hear their viewpoint,” he had told the media.

Tharoor’s differences with the party leadership reportedly began after he praised the Centre’s response following the Pahalgam terror attack and later lauded the government for Operation Sindoor. Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival recently, Tharoor defended his stand, saying, “How could I be expected to criticise it when I myself recommended it? I supported it fully throughout Operation Sindoor and afterwards.”

Thursday’s meeting appears to have helped ease tensions, with Tharoor publicly signalling unity with the party leadership