Is all well between Shashi Tharoor and Congress? On switching parties, Kerala MP says…

Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Kerela’s Thiruvananthapuram, recently refused to comment when asked if “all is well between you and the Congress.” Instead, he said there’s an “important” India-Pakistan match today.

Earlier on Saturday, Tharoor shared a quote from English poet Thomas Gray. It read, “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” Many reports claimed that his social media post had a “cryptic” message amid “the buzz of a rift between him and the Congress.”

Why is Shashi Tharoor in the news?

Shashi Tharoor stirred up a political storm by praising rivals of his party, Congress.

1. Tharoor earlier praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Tharoor had said, “…what we have seen from the press statements by the Prime Minister and President Trump are very encouraging. Some of the big concerns we all had have been addressed.”

The Congress MP had also said that “the commitment to sell us the F-35 stealth aircraft is very valuable because that is a state-of-the-art aircraft.”

His comment on F-35 aircraft was not in line with other Congress leader’s remarks, who have criticised Donald Trump’s offer to sell F-35 fighters to India.

“The F-35, which Elon Musk has described as ‘junk’, why is Narendra Modi hell-bent on buying it?” asked a post on Congress leader Randeep Surjewala X account, saying that the aircraft was expensive and had high operational costs.

Tharoor further said the only “thing missing was the manner in which” illegal Indian immigrants were sent back from the US.

2. Tharoor praised Kerala’s entrepreneurial growth under the LDF government.

In an article in The New Indian Express, Tharoor highlighted the government’s achievements in fostering a positive startup ecosystem and introducing new industrial policies.

Tharoor’s article offered the ruling LDF a chance to refute the opposition UDF’s claims that the state has been lagging in development and economic growth, The New Indian Express reported.

The UDF strongly flayed Tharoor, accusing him of “overlooking” the industrial sector’s achievements during its tenure in the state. As the Congress questioned the basis for Tharoor’s article, the CPI(M) came to his defence by saying that the MP from Thiruvananthapuram only stated facts.

Tharoor defends his statements

1. Shashi Tharoor defended his praise for PM Narendra Modi following his meeting with US President Donald Trump, stating that he spoke with India’s interests in mind and that “we cannot always speak only in terms of party interest.”

“I am not a party spokesman. I am an MP elected by all the people of Thiruvananthapuram, and on that basis, I speak as a responsible stakeholder in Indian democracy…,” Tharoor said.

2. Defending his recent article in an English daily, Shashi Tharoor clarified that not highlighting the industrial advancements made during the previous UDF regime was not intentional.

In a late-night Facebook post in Malayalam, he said: “The main focus of my article was the figures presented by the current Industry Minister, who stated that the CPI(M)’s general policy had not been industrial investment-friendly and has undergone changes.”

In his post, Tharoor stated that some have noted that his article has not referred to the technological advancements made during the previous Oommen Chandy government. “This omission was unintentional,” he said.

Tharoor also clarified his stance in a long post on X. Here’s what the post read:

‘Why you say good things about our rivals’

In a podcast with Indian Express Malayalam, Tharoor said he has always expressed his views fearlessly when it came to the betterment of the country and Kerala.

“I don’t think like a politician. I have never had narrow political thoughts,” he said.

“I have never thought about political implications before commenting on something I am convinced about. This is the reason I sometimes laud the good initiatives of governments or parties that are rivals to the Congress,” he said.

Tharoor added, “… I have never seen a negative reaction to my remarks from the public. But it exists in the party. They ask me why you say good things about our rivals. Yes, they are our opponents, but when they do good things, we have to appreciate them.”

Is Tharoor leaving Congress?

Tharoor denied rumours that he was considering switching parties. He told Indian Express Malayalam that he does not believe in changing a party if one does not agree with certain things in it.

“I don’t think it will be the right thing to do. One has the freedom to be outside the party, stay as an independent,” Tharoor said.

But, he quickly added: “What I see in today’s politics is that everyone wants a party or organisation to back you.”

‘Sidelined’ Shashi Tharoor asks Rahul Gandhi about his role in Congress

According to reports, Shashi Tharoor met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi earlier and sought clarity on his role in the Congress.

Shashi Tharoor reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over him being sidelined in the Congress and lack of opportunities — such as not being included in major Parliamentary debates.

To these, Rahul Gandhi had no answer, reports said.

Is all well between Shashi Tharoor and Congress?

In a podcast with Indian Express Malayalam, Shashi Tharoor shared some suggestions for the Congress ahead of the Kerala Assembly election, which will be held in 2026.

Tharoor also said that the rival BJP beats the Congress in having strong organisational set-up within the party. He also said if the Congress did not need his services, he had other “options”.

Top quotes from Tharoor’s podcast interview:

1. ‘Congress would sit in Oppn for 3rd time if…’

Tharoor said that if the Congress did not try to expand its appeal, it would be sitting in the Opposition for the third consecutive time in Kerala.

With the Congress facing successive Assembly poll debacles after significant gains in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Tharoor said the party needed to draw people from beyond its committed voter base, and said the support he personally got was an example, the Indian Express reported.

“Both at the national and the state level, the Congress cannot win only with its committed vote base. It’s a reality. If you look at the national level, the Congress vote was around 19%. Would we be fine with our own vote base? Only if we get 26-27% additional can we come to power. So, we need those who have not backed us in the last two elections,” Tharoor was quoted as saying.

2. BJP beats Congress in…

Tharoor also called for a strong organisational set-up within the Congress to carry forward its ideology and ideas. He said the BJP beats the party in this across states.

3. ‘If Congress did not need his services…’

Shashi Tharoor also said that he was elected as MP four times from Thiruvananthapuram and that if the Congress did not need his services, he had “other options” including speaking tours and books.

“My appeal in Thiruvananthapuram is much more than what the party enjoys. People like the way I talk and behave. Even those who are generally against the Congress voted for me. That’s what we want in 2026,” Tharoor said in the podcast.

4. ‘Absence of leader in Kerala’s Congress’

Tharoor further flagged the “absence of a leader in Kerala’s Congress”. He said, “It’s not my responsibility, but I have pointed this out. Several workers feel there is an absence of a leader in Kerala’s Congress.”

5. Tharoor seeks leadership position?

Tharoor claimed in the interview that opinion polls from independent agencies indicated he was “ahead of others in leadership stakes in Kerala.”

“If the party wants to use that, I will be there for the party. If not, I have my own things to do. You should not think that I have no other option. I have my books, speeches, invitations from across the world to give a talk,” the Congress MP said.