Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed disappointment on being sidelined within the party and is also unhappy over Rahul Gandhi's unwillingness to clarify the high command's expectations of him, Times of India reported on Saturday citing sources in the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Rahul Gandhi had invited Tharoor for a meeting on Wednesday, after his article praising the opposition LDF government in Kerala drew sharp criticism from the party's state unit.
HT can't verify the claims made in the report.
Tharoor was also criticised by the party for praising PM Modi's visit to the US, which he said yielded some positive outcomes for the Indian people.
Also read | Kerala Congress mouthpiece targets Shashi Tharoor for praising PM Modi, state govt
“It's far better than Washington hastily and unilaterally imposing tariffs on us, which could have hurt our exports. To my mind, something good has been achieved, and I applaud that as an Indian. We can't always speak only in terms of party interests. I am not a party spokesman,” said Tharoor on the Indo-US decision to hold trade and tariff negotiations.
The report said that Tharoor conveyed his disappointment to Rahul Gandhi on being sidelined. He also expressed frustration on the way he was removed from the All-India Professional Congress, a party unit he founded.
{{/usCountry}}The report said that Tharoor conveyed his disappointment to Rahul Gandhi on being sidelined. He also expressed frustration on the way he was removed from the All-India Professional Congress, a party unit he founded.
{{/usCountry}}The Thiruvananthapuram MP also alleged a denial of opportunity during major debates in Parliament. Conveying his ability to lead the party's parliamentary affairs, Tharoor asserted that he did not protest as Gandhi was the party's parliamentary leader.
Also read | Shashi Tharoor condemns ragging incident in Kerala college, calls for action: ‘Appalling’
Tharoor also insisted Gandhi specify the party's expectations from him and asked if the party wants him to focus on state politics, the report said.
The MP is reportedly upset at not getting concrete assurances on his concerns from Rahul Gandhi, who made it clear that picking a chief ministerial face before polls is antithetical to party traditions. Assembly polls in Kerala are likely to take place in 2026.
Tharoor is also unhappy that his interest to assume responsibilities in the party's youth wing was not acceptable to Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Wednesday, Tharoor said he had a “very good conversation” with Gandhi and explained that they did not discuss the upcoming state election or the role of state leaders.