Why did Shashi Tharoor refuse to lead Congress in Lok Sabha debate over Operation Sindoor? Why did he snub Rahul Gandhi?

Shashi Tharoor, who accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to lead the Indian delegation touring the US and other countries after Operation Sindoor, skipped the Lok Sabha debate on the subject. In what may be called a snub to his party, the 4-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram refused to lead the Opposition in the debate, taking place on Monday. The famous author is at a crossroads of the relations with his party and has refused to toe the party line and contradict himself "for the sake of party messaging".

Shashi Tharoor snubs Rahul Gandhi

If reports are to be believed, Rahul Gandhi's office approached Shashi Tharoor and asked him to lead the attack on the government on the floor of the Parliament, but the MP refused. Besides, Rahul, who is the Leader of the Opposition, and his deputy, Gaurav Gogoi, and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are among those who will speak for the Congress. Shashi Tharoor was asked to lead them all. 

Tharoor gets disenchanted

Shashi Tharoor has distanced himself from the Congress Party for a number of issues for quite some time. It was reported that his relationship with the top party echelons worsened in 2021 after he joined 22 other party veterans to write a letter to the party criticizing the leadership. He contested the election to the office of the Congress president, but he lost the polls to Mallikarjun Kharge. Party leadership did not like his decision. 

Congress expressed its displeasure with Tharoor's praise for PM Modi. The ties further worsened after he was handpicked as one of the few opposition MPs chosen to brief 'partner nations' on the Pahalgam attack and India's military response. Earlier, Tharoor had acknowledged differences between himself and the Congress leadership,  he went to the extent of meeting Rahul Gandhi, but nothing concrete happened. 

Shashi Tharoor eyes Kerala elections?

Analysts believe Shashi Tharoor eyes the assembly elections in his home state of Kerala and wants the party to declare him the face of the campaign or the future chief minister of the state. The Congress has not done it so far. There is a strong lobby in the Kerala Congress, and it is opposing the author of the book 'Why I Am a Hindu.' The situation has reached the point of no return, both for unhappy party leadership and the unapologetic MP from Thiruvananthapuram.