Shashi Tharoor's absence from a meeting of the Congress' Lok Sabha MPs this morning – led by Rahul Gandhi – to review their performance in Parliament's winter session – has raised eyebrows, particularly since it is the third consecutive major party gathering he has missed.
Sources told NDTV Tharoor, the MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, had informed the party of his absence; he is in Kolkata, his X timeline indicated, for private events that include the birthday of his sister, Smriti Tharoor, and the wedding of long-time aide John Koshy.
But the fact remains this is the third consecutive high-profile Congress meeting Tharoor has missed after two in November, including one led by Sonia Gandhi.
And many are now asking why the Congress doesn't take disciplinary action, particularly since it has been critical of recent comments – including those in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor – that seem to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
Add to that he was part of the G-23 – 'rebel' leaders who questioned the Gandhis' leadership after defeat in the 2019 federal election – and his unscathed status is perhaps puzzling.
The answer, party sources told NDTV, is simple. The answer is votes and politics.
The Congress is reluctant to come down on Tharoor because of tension in its Kerala unit between Tharoor and National General Secretary KC Venugopal. The latter is seen as Rahul Gandhi's close ally and the most prominent figure after Gandhi and party boss Mallikarjun Kharge.
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Tharoor, however, has significant sway among voters; he has won the Thiruvananthapuram four times since 2009 and never secured less than 34 per cent of the votes.
That influence is key for the Congress ahead of next year's Assembly election and was also important as the party campaigned for local body polls that were held on December 9 and 11.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front will hope to capitalise on Tharoor's influence to gain ground on the state's ruling Left Democratic Front in the civic election – in which it trailed by 2.26 voting percentage points in 2020 – and keep the momentum into the Assembly poll.
Sources suggested to NDTV Tharoor is aware of the Congress' position in this regard and is eyeing the Chief Minister's job should the UDF win next year's election.
The Congress, though, is unlikely to accept this elevation which, assuming the party does win in 2026, could set up a Karnataka-style showdown between two senior leaders for the top post.
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This stand-off – over a potential chief ministerial promotion – is why Tharoor takes opportunities to jab the Congress and, simultaneously (and confusingly) is also why the party doesn't react.
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