The Congress party in Kerala has sought to present a united front amid speculation of an internal rift with senior leader Shashi Tharoor over his recent remarks praising the BJP-led central government. In an apparent bid to quell any reports of discord, Rahul Gandhi shared an image of Kerala Congress leaders on Facebook, captioning it with a message of unity and the hashtag "Team Kerala." This followed a crucial meeting in Delhi on February 28, where the party’s top brass, including Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Kerala Congress leaders, discussed strategy for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections and reinforced the need for party discipline.
During the nearly three-hour meeting, Rahul Gandhi reportedly emphasized that leaders must strictly adhere to the party’s political stance. The discussion came in the wake of Tharoor’s praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his statement suggesting that he had "other options" if Congress did not require his services. His recent appreciation of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government’s ease of doing business policies further irked Congress leadership. Additionally, Tharoor had welcomed Modi’s visit to Washington in January and his meeting with then-US President Donald Trump—an event that drew criticism from the Congress party.
To address the growing speculation about his discontent within Congress, Rahul Gandhi held a one-on-one meeting with Tharoor last week. However, despite Tharoor’s public denial of any plans to leave the party, the CPI(M) has signaled its willingness to welcome him should he decide to switch sides. Senior CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac remarked that Tharoor "will not be an orphan in Kerala politics" if he exits Congress and noted that it was a “miracle” that he had remained with the party for so long. Isaac also pointed out that the CPI(M) has a history of accommodating former Congress leaders, leaving the door open for a possible political shift.
