Tharoor projects solidarity, says ‘no issue with the party’

Wayanad: Buoyed by the recent gains in civic polls, Congress leaders in Kerala brainstormed over days at a summit in Wayanad even as Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday projected a picture of solidarity, claiming there is “no issue with the party”.

Talking to reporters, Tharoor said, “There is no conflict here, we all stand together in the party, and you can see that here.”

He also slammed rumours about his staying away from the party line on key issues, including his recent endorsement of party colleague Digvijaya Singh’s suggestion for strengthening the party.

“There is no issue with the party, the question is who said I’m staying away from the party line. If you look at most of my opinions, a majority of them favour the party. The base of my opinions is the party. You can check my speeches and questions towards the ministers in Parliament. Whenever I say or write something outside, the media takes a different angle and compares it without reading it fully,” he said.

The two-day Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) ‘Lakshya Leader Summit’ concluded on Monday at the Saptha Convention Centre here.

Tharoor, who addressed the inaugural session on Sundaay, said in a social media message, “Attended and addressed the inaugural session of ‘Lakshya’, the @INCKerala leadership ‘camp’ preparatory to the 2026 Assembly election.”

“It was good to see a solid turnout and the quiet determination that is animating the discussions. Everyone appreciates that this is no time for complacency; there is work to be done. The local self-Government election victory must not be the pillow upon which we rest, but the launchpad for the final mile,” he said.

Refusing to divulge details about the discussions at the summit, the Tharoor said, “Though we had to run the media gauntlet to get in, it was widely agreed that our discussions should stay internal and that public comments on our deliberations would be counter-productive. What matters is results.”

With the Kerala Assembly elections expected in April-May, the summit focused on the Congress campaign against the Left government’s “anti-people” policies and the “failures” of the BJP-led Central government.

The discussions also hold significance in terms of the Congress approach towards allies and the framework for seat-sharing talks are expected to be finalised.

The Congress, which leads the UDF, traditionally contests around 90 seats, while the remaining constituencies are shared among allies such as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress factions, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), CMP, and Kerala Congress (Jacob). Historically, seat-sharing negotiations have been the most sensitive aspect of pre-election preparations, and early indications suggest this cycle will be no different.

Key party leaders who attended the summit included KPCC President Sunny Joseph, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, AICC General Secretary Deepa Das Munshi, members of the Congress Working Committee, former KPCC presidents, and other senior leaders, said a party leader.

IANS