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Shashi Tharoor was not present at VD Satheesan's oath ceremony in Kerala. Here's why
Shashi Tharoor had informed last week that he won't be able to attend the ceremony because of a prior commitment.
VD Satheesan took oath as the chief minister of Kerala along with his cabinet on Monday, including senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K. Muraleedharan and others. The ceremony was attended by several Congress dignitaries, but one key leader was absent — Shashi Tharoor.
Tharoor could not attend the event as he was in the United States over the weekend to deliver an address at his alma mater, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University.
The Congress MP had informed on Friday, May 15, that he would not be able to attend the ceremony because of a prior commitment.
“I’m sorry to be missing the swearing-in ceremony of my @incKerala colleague and new CM of Kerala @vdsatheesan. I am in Boston this weekend to deliver the Commencement address at the graduation ceremony of my alma mater, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at @TuftsUniversity — and also to participate in the 50th anniversary reunion of my graduating class!” he had written in a post on X.
Tharoor called the 50th anniversary reunion of his graduating class “an occasion for celebrating the past in the US even as I look forward to the future in Kerala...”
On Monday morning as well, while sharing a post about not being able to attend the swearing-in ceremony, Tharoor said he would be thinking of Satheesan on the occasion.
“Yes, will think of @vdsatheesan and my @INCKerala colleagues and UDF allies on this happy occasion!” he wrote.
Congress govt sworn in in Kerala
For the Congress party, it was a big day in Kerala on Monday as its government, led by chief minister VD Satheesan, was sworn in. The party returned to power through the United Democratic Front after defeating the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front, which had been in power for a decade.
The UDF won 102 of the 140 seats in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
After weeks of speculation, deliberations and a tight power tussle between Satheesan and another senior Congress leader, KC Venugopal, the party high command chose the former to lead the state, citing the popularity he enjoys among UDF partners, among other reasons.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, attended the ceremony.
