The political future of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is under scrutiny as he once again missed a critical party meeting. Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, was notably absent from a Congress strategy group meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi, held in preparation for the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament, commencing December 1st. While Tharoor’s team explained his absence was due to travelling with his elderly mother in Kerala, this marks another instance of him missing a significant party gathering.
This latest absence comes after Tharoor skipped a previous Congress meeting regarding the ‘SIR’ issue, citing health concerns. However, his attendance at a Prime Minister Narendra Modi event the day before, coupled with his subsequent praise for Modi’s policies on national pride and overcoming colonial mindsets, ignited controversy within the party. Tharoor defended his remarks as expressing differing viewpoints rather than disloyalty, denying any intentions to leave the Congress. Nonetheless, his public appreciation of the Prime Minister and his repeated absence from core party strategy sessions have amplified internal discord and fueled widespread speculation about his allegiance and future political direction within the Congress framework.