Shashi Tharoor addressed the swirling rumours about his political future on Friday, firmly dismissing any talk of him crossing over to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Thiruvananthapuram MP explained that while the media often interprets his support for certain government policies as "pro-BJP," he views his stance purely as "pro-India," especially when it comes to international diplomacy. Tharoor made it clear that on the global stage, he prefers to speak for the country rather than play party politics— a habit that has occasionally landed him in hot water with his own colleagues.
The clarification follows a tense year for Tharoor within the Congress. He faced internal backlash after making comments on India-Pakistan relations and the diplomatic fallout of the Pahalgam attack that didn't quite mesh with the official party line. On Friday, he acknowledged the friction, admitting that party members should generally stick to the script. However, he defended his record by pointing out that he has never broken ranks during a vote in Parliament and remains a committed soldier of the party.
When pressed by reporters to give a categorical "yes or no" on whether he would stay in the Congress, Tharoor seemed slightly exasperated by the line of questioning. “I am going to be in the Congress and I am not going anywhere,” he said, reiterating that he is completely on board to help the UDF win the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections by defeating the Left. He wondered why he was even being asked to prove his loyalty in the first place, although the underlying message was that there have been whispers about him being dumped in his home state.
This public display of unity follows a high-stakes meeting on Thursday with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Tharoor had reportedly been frustrated after being given the cold shoulder at a recent event in Kochi and felt a segment of the Kerala leadership was trying to push him to the margins. After the sit-down in Delhi, however, he declared that "all is good" and everyone is finally on the same page. With the Kerala elections looming, the Congress knows it can't afford a public falling out with one of its most recognisable faces if it hopes to win back power after a decade in opposition.
Also read: 'On the same page', says Tharoor after meeting Congress chiefs
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