'Was on a plane': Shashi Tharoor absent again from key Congress meet, sparks exit buzz ahead of Kerala polls

The four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram has skipped two consecutive key party meetings, fuelling speculation about his future in the Congress amid increasingly sharp exchanges with some colleagues.

The timing has raised eyebrows as well.

'Was in a plane'

Tharoor, however, has brushed aside the growing chatter, insisting that he did not deliberately avoid the meeting but missed it because he was in Kerala attending to his elderly mother.

"I did not skip it; I was on a plane, coming from Kerala," Tharoor said, responding to questions on his absence.

The latest meeting, held last evening at Sonia Gandhi’s residence, brought together top Congress figures—including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi—to strategise for the Winter Session that began today.

Tharoor’s absence was notable. He later told reporters that he had already informed the leadership that he could not attend.

Not the first time

This was the second major meeting he skipped.

On November 18, Tharoor was also missing from a strategy session convened by Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to plan the party’s approach on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue.

At the time, he cited ill health—yet he had attended a lecture by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the previous evening, even praising the PM’s remarks, which had included pointed criticism of the Congress.

His praise sparked discomfort within the party.

Meanwhile, in Kerala, political groups including the Left and the Congress are preparing for local body polls.

Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal also missed yesterday’s meeting, but Tharoor’s absence has drawn far more attention due to his repeated divergence from the party line on high-profile matters.

Tharoor’s rift with Congress

Tharoor has had a complicated relationship with the party for years. He was part of the G-23 group that wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020, calling for sweeping organisational reforms.

In 2022, he unsuccessfully challenged Kharge for the Congress presidency.

But his ties with the leadership have frayed significantly this year.

After the Pahalgam terror attack in April and India’s Operation Sindoor in May, Tharoor emerged as one of the prominent voices articulating India’s position on the global stage.

His firm comments earned him praise—even from critics—for setting aside party politics during a national crisis.

Although the Congress initially backed the government, it later adopted a more confrontational stance.

Tharoor’s consistent support for the government during this period clashed with the party’s evolving position.

Tensions deepened when the Centre selected him—without the Congress recommending his name—to head an Indian delegation for international outreach following Operation Sindoor.

In recent months, Tharoor’s public statements have frequently differed from the party's official line.

Several Congress leaders have repeatedly clarified that his comments do not represent the party’s stance.

Kharge, too, has expressed dissatisfaction, especially over Tharoor’s praise of the Prime Minister.

In a veiled dig, he remarked that while the Congress puts “country first,” for “some people, it’s Modi first.”