Responding to the speculations surrounding his absence at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday clarified that he had informed party leaders in advance that he would not be able to attend due to prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival in Calicut.
Keralam Election Results: Congress leads in 54 seats, CPI(M) in 31; Tharoor says ‘time for change’ as UDF gains early edge (ANI Photo)
Responding to the speculations surrounding his absence at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday clarified that he had informed party leaders in advance that he would not be able to attend due to prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival in Calicut. Tharoor was scheduled to speak at the festival about his latest book, Sree Narayana Guru.
#WATCH | Kozhikode, Kerala: On the sidelines of Kerala Literature Festival, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks to the media on the row over him not attending an election-related meeting with the party leadership but attending the Literature Festival. pic.twitter.com/lLb8cLTGX9
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— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2026
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The AICC meeting was held to discuss preparations for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls. Several party leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, party General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Deepa Dasmunshi, Meira Kumar and others attended the AICC meeting in Delhi.
On varying reports in the media about him skipping the meet, Tharoor said that certain matters should not be discussed on a public platform.
“It is better to convey concerns directly to the party leadership. Several things have appeared in the media, some of which may be true while others may not be, and that such matters should not be discussed on public platforms. I had informed the party in advance that I would not be attending the programme and whatever I have to say will be said within the party,” he said.
#WATCH | Kozhikode, Kerala: On missing the poll-related meeting with party leadership and attending Kerala Lit Fest, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "Whatever issues there are, I would have to discuss them with the party leadership, and I look forward to the opportunity to do… pic.twitter.com/G7l6noke3p
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2026
On questions of rift, Congress leaders have denied any difference of opinion between Tharoor and the central leadership.
“He spoke to the leaders about that, and I guess the leaders have given him permission to be there. This is not about him skipping the meeting. It is an important literary festival in Kerala that he attends every year. This is about our pathway ahead,” said party leader Shafi Parambil.
Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC General Secretary also reacted to the controversy, saying that Tharoor is not angry, rather he is very happy with the Congress party and the central leadership. There is no difference of opinion on this, she added.
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