(Image source from: x.com/ShashiTharoor)

Shashi Tharoor, whose connection with the Congress party seems shaky after several remarks interpreted as complimentary towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and who has had to fend off speculation about a surprising move to the BJP, had a 90-minute discussion with party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and senior member Rahul Gandhi at the Parliament House on Thursday morning. Tharoor told the media after their meeting, "We had a very positive and helpful conversation. Everything is good, and we are in agreement moving forward. . . " This meeting came after Tharoor missed several important Congress gatherings, including those where strategies for this year's election in his home state of Kerala were discussed. Sources indicated that Tharoor requested time to talk with Kharge and Gandhi to share his thoughts and worries, and that the party would attempt to address these issues before the election.

Tharoor’s connection with the Congress appeared to decline significantly following the Pahalgam terrorist attack last April. The four-time Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram praised the Prime Minister's response to the situation, which drew sharp criticism from Congress members, many joked that Tharoor was trying to get an invitation to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. The relationship seemed to worsen when the BJP asked Tharoor – and he agreed – to lead a cross-party group to inform supportive nations about the attack and India's actions. No other Congress member received this invitation.

Thanks to @INCIndia President @kharge ji and LS LoP @RahulGandhi ji for a warm and constructive discussion today on a wide range of subjects. We are all on the same page as we move forward in the service of the people of India. pic.twitter.com/T5l8jqkhUT

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 29, 2026

Over the following months, the relationship continued to decline, especially in November during two specific incidents. The first occurred when Tharoor attended a private function where the Prime Minister spoke and later expressed on X, ". . . the speech provided an economic forecast and a cultural call to action, encouraging the country to seek progress eagerly. . . " Congress members Supriya Shrinate and Sandeep Dikshit criticized Tharoor’s remarks, dismissing the speech and questioning his statements. Tharoor replied, "Even a neutral statement I made about the PM's speech has been seen as flattery. But I didn't express any praise," feeling confused, "I merely described what the speech was about. . . " The second incident in November was an article named 'Indian Politics Are a Family Business,' which criticized family-run parties like Congress, and this did not sit well with the party.

On that time, the BJP took the chance to mock the Congress and the 'first family,' which refers to the Gandhi family that still holds a lot of power in the party, even though they are not the leaders. Tharoor has consistently said that his remarks are just meant to improve service to India. Last June, he stated, "My praise for the Prime Minister does not mean I am eager to join his party, as some people have mistakenly suggested. It is a message of national unity. . . " In truth, the divide between Tharoor and the party has been widening since mid-2022, when he was among a group of Congress leaders that wrote to the then-leader Sonia Gandhi, asking for a change in leadership following multiple election losses, starting with a significant defeat in the 2019 national election. This group, known as G-23, eventually lost momentum, but it did not lead to an election for the Congress President position. Tharoor ran for that election but was defeated by Mallikarjun Kharge, a supporter of the Gandhi family.

When he was asked in June 2025 to describe his current relationship with the Congress, he emphasized that he had been faithful to the party and its principles for 16 years.