Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor’s Surprise Meeting Signals Truce In Kerala Congress

The meeting comes amid a political storm triggered by Shashi Tharoor's recent remarks in an article for a leading English daily, where he praised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala.

Over the weekend, Shashi Tharoor faced backlash from party colleagues who launched direct and indirect attacks. 

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Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor held a surprise half-hour meeting at 10 Janpath in Delhi on Tuesday night. The meeting, described as "cool" by AICC General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal, appears to have eased tensions within the party in Kerala.

The sources of IANS told the agency that the discussion helped break the ice between the two leaders with more talks expected to address Tharoor's concerns. The four-time MP has recently expressed dissatisfaction with the party high command and the Kerala Congress leadership over his treatment.

The meeting comes amid a political storm triggered by Tharoor's recent remarks in an article for a leading English daily, where he praised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala and acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit. His comments drew sharp criticism from within the Congress but were welcomed by the ruling CPI(M) with Chief Minister Vijayan hailing them as a boost to his government's image.

Yet, over the weekend, Tharoor faced backlash from party colleagues who launched direct and indirect attacks. 

Following the meeting, both Gandhi and Tharoor exited through the back door, leaving Venugopal to brief the media. The development signals a potential thaw in intra-party tensions with the Congress leadership likely to engage in further discussions to address the concerns raised by Tharoor.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), has invited senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to participate in its upcoming youth startup festival, set to take place next month in Kerala’s capital, reported PTI.

The Left-affiliated organization extended the invitation to the Thiruvananthapuram MP amid a heated political debate following his recent article, where he commended Kerala’s entrepreneurial progress under the Left government.