Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor stated on Thursday that he did not campaign for the Nilambur bypoll in Kerala since the party leadership never asked him to do so.
Simultaneously, he doynplayed rumors of a split with the Congress leadership while recognizing “certain differences,” following a five-nation diplomatic engagement that had his comments irritating some party leaders.
Cites Diplomatic Mission As Reason Behind Snub
“The party did not invite me. However, that’s fine,” Tharoor informed reporters, answering a question regarding his lack of presence on the campaign trail in Nilambur. Voting for the important byelection is taking place there today.
“To begin with, I was absent for a significant portion of this official diplomatic assignment.” He told that upon his return, there was no pressure, no missed calls from the leadership urging his presence.
He utilized the time to fulfill previous obligations, such as leading a committee meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs in Delhi.
Tharoor dismissed claims that his absence indicated a divide with the party leadership or membership. He mentioned that Congress members, including those from his Thiruvananthapuram area, had been working diligently on the campaign.
ALSO READ: ‘Khamenei can’t be allowed to exist’: Israel’s blunt warning
Tharoor, a Congress member for 16 years and a four-time electoral winner from Thiruvananthapuram, mentioned that there are sporadic disagreements with party leadership, but these matters should be handled internally. He claimed that he stayed dedicated to the party’s principles.
The Diplomatic Mission
Tharoor has just come back from a diplomatic trip, where he headed a multi-party delegation to the US and four other nations to convey India’s position after Operation Sindoor, a response to the Pahalgam assault executed by terrorists supported by Pakistan.
His selection by the government for the delegation and certain comments he made during the visit, particularly his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, faced backlash from parts of the Congress.
