Amid growing speculation about an internal divide between Congress and Shashi Tharoor over his increasing praise for the BJP-led government, MP Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed on Sunday that the party's leadership in Kerala is united.
He shared a photo on Facebook from a press conference featuring Kerala Congress leaders, which followed their meeting with the party's top leadership in Delhi on February 28. Gandhi captioned the image: "They stand as one, united by the light of purpose ahead," and added the hashtag ‘Team Kerala.’
The meeting, which also focused on strategy for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, saw the Congress leadership issue a stern warning to its members. They emphasized that any leader making statements contrary to the party's position would face strict disciplinary action.
Attendees included Tharoor, Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary K C Venugopal, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kerala unit chief K Sudhakaran, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan, and Kerala in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi.
The meeting followed recent comments from Tharoor, including praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a subtle hint that he might explore other options if Congress no longer valued his contributions. Earlier this month, Tharoor also lauded the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala for its business-friendly policies, which raised concerns within Congress.
Additionally, he welcomed Modi's visit to Washington in January and his meeting with US President Donald Trump, a move that attracted criticism from within the party.
Tharoor's apparent discontent with being sidelined led to a private meeting between him and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi a week ago.
