Questions are being raised about Shashi Tharoor’s standing within the Congress party following his repeated absence from significant internal meetings. The Thiruvananthapuram MP recently missed a vital strategy session led by Sonia Gandhi, designed to outline the party’s approach for the Parliament’s Winter Session, slated to begin December 1st. His office attributed this absence to being in Kerala and accompanying his 90-year-old mother on a delayed flight. This follows a previous instance where Tharoor missed a meeting on the ‘SIR’ issue, citing health reasons, yet had appeared at a Prime Minister Narendra Modi event the day prior.
Tharoor’s public commendation of Prime Minister Modi, particularly his remarks on transforming India and challenging colonial legacies, has drawn sharp criticism from within his own party. Some leaders have questioned his loyalty and suggested he should explain his stance or consider his position if he finds the current government’s policies more effective. Despite facing accusations of hypocrisy and calls for clarification, Tharoor asserts these are merely differences of opinion and he has no plans to depart from the Congress. Nevertheless, these perceived divergences and his continued absence from key party deliberations are intensifying debates about his long-term political affiliations and his role within the grand old party.