Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was absent from yet another party meeting on Thursday—a gathering of Lok Sabha MPs chaired by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Party sources cited by news agency ANI confirmed that Tharoor had informed the party of his unavailability.
The Backdrop of Absence
This is the third Congress meeting Tharoor has missed in recent weeks, contributing to what is described as a “frosty” relationship with the party leadership:
- Thursday’s Lok Sabha MPs Meeting: Chaired by Rahul Gandhi.
- November 30 Party Meeting: Held just before the start of the winter session of Parliament. Tharoor had previously explained this absence, stating he “was on a plane coming from Kerala.”
- Prior Meeting on Voter Rolls: He also missed a key party meeting focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, an issue central to Rahul Gandhi’s recent political focus.
Tharoor’s Engagements
On the day of the Lok Sabha MPs meeting, Tharoor was in Kolkata, where his social media showed him attending an event hosted by a non-governmental organization. His activities included:
- Speaking on women’s rights, including his proposed legislation to criminalize marital rape.
- Singing briefly on stage for his sister.
Noteworthy Context and Relationship Status
- Public Appearances: Tharoor has recently attended certain high-profile national events—such as a lecture by PM Narendra Modi and a state banquet for Russian President Vladimir Putin—where the main Opposition leadership was notably absent or not invited.
- Internal Standing: Tharoor, who contested and lost the 2022 Congress presidential election to Mallikarjun Kharge, has reportedly not been included in the party’s list of official speakers inside the House in recent times.
- Other Absentees: Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari was also absent from Thursday’s meeting. Tewari and Tharoor were previously among the Congress MPs who participated in a government-led global outreach effort following “Operation Sindoor” concerning Pakistan, which had also caused internal party displeasure.
The current winter session of Parliament is scheduled to conclude on December 19.