Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will skip a key party meeting ahead of the Kerala assembly elections, the Times of India reported, a decision that has triggered a sharp public swipe from within his own party and exposed fresh strains in the opposition ranks.
Senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Wednesday questioned Tharoor’s relevance, dismissing the MP’s absence by saying that “relevant people” would be attending the meeting. The remark, widely seen as a personal dig, has added to the perception of simmering internal discord as the party prepares for a crucial electoral battle.
Tharoor, a four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram and one of Congress’s most recognisable national faces, has in recent months appeared increasingly distant from the party’s central leadership, fuelling speculation about his role and future within the organisation.
Dikshit’s comments underline a broader unease within Congress over leadership, messaging and discipline at a time when the party is seeking to consolidate its position ahead of state elections and sharpen its challenge to the BJP nationally.
The Congress has not issued an official response to Dikshit’s remarks or to Tharoor’s decision to skip the meeting.
Senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Wednesday questioned Tharoor’s relevance, dismissing the MP’s absence by saying that “relevant people” would be attending the meeting. The remark, widely seen as a personal dig, has added to the perception of simmering internal discord as the party prepares for a crucial electoral battle.
Tharoor, a four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram and one of Congress’s most recognisable national faces, has in recent months appeared increasingly distant from the party’s central leadership, fuelling speculation about his role and future within the organisation.
Dikshit’s comments underline a broader unease within Congress over leadership, messaging and discipline at a time when the party is seeking to consolidate its position ahead of state elections and sharpen its challenge to the BJP nationally.
The Congress has not issued an official response to Dikshit’s remarks or to Tharoor’s decision to skip the meeting.
