'If Congress Wants Me...': Shashi Tharoor As Selfie With Piyush Goyal Sparks Buzz

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has come under the spotlight after several recent comments by him have pointed towards a rift between him and the party.

(L-R) British Secretary of State for Trade Jonathan Reynolds, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Source : X

Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP, Shashi Tharoor has fuelled some rumours about his future in the party after he posted a selfie with himself, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and British Secretary of State for Trade Jonathan Reynolds following a discussion on the India-UK trade deal.

Sharing the image, Tharoor wrote, "Good to exchange words with Jonathan Reynolds, Britain's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the company of his Indian counterpart, Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal. The long-stalled FTA negotiations have been revived, which is most welcome."

Good to exchange words with Jonathan Reynolds, Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the company of his Indian counterpart, Commerce & Industry Minister ⁦@PiyushGoyal⁩. The long-stalled FTA negotiations have been revived, which is most welcome pic.twitter.com/VmCxEOkzc2

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 25, 2025

This post comes while he is going through a challenging time, with reports suggesting he is disillusioned with the party after facing criticism from several Congress leaders for praising Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s governance in an article published in a leading national daily, reported IANS.

Since then, practically the entire top brass of the party in Kerala has distanced itself from Tharoor, according to an IANS report.

In the party’s mouthpiece, Veekshanam Daily, Tharoor was criticised for praising the state’s entrepreneurial growth under the Left government. The publication argued that weakening the Congress from within was “suicidal” at a time when the party has been actively critiquing the failures of the LDF government.

Following this release, Tharoor in English daily, wrote, positively about certain aspects of the state’s government. Later, he explained he had not ‘praised’ CPM, but only tried to highlight Kerala’s progress in the startup sector.

Tharoor also faced criticism for his praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following US President Donald Trump's remark that Modi was a "much tougher negotiator."

Reacting to Trump's statement, Tharoor had said, "To hear a man like Donald Trump, whose Defense Secretary called him 'the greatest negotiator in the world,' announcing that the Indian Prime Minister is a better negotiator... that sounds like something Mr. Modi can put in the bank, that sounds very good."

Defending his remarks, Tharoor stated that he spoke with India's interests in mind, emphasising, "We cannot always speak only in terms of the party's interest."

As per NDTV, when Tharoor was questioned by reporters on Sunday, he shrugged off speculation between him and Congress. When asked if things were okay between him and the party he said he didn’t have any comment on the regard. On Tuesday, Tharoor when he was further questioned by reporters he said, "If the party wants me... I will be there. If not, I have my own things to do. You should not think I don't have any options..."