KERALA :
Reports from political circles indicate that the **Communist Party of India (Marxist) has been engaging in important discussions in **Dubai with an eye on keeping Congress MP Shashi Tharoor aligned and politically engaged, amid speculation about his distancing from the Congress leadership ahead of Kerala’s crucial elections.
According to Kerala political sources, secretive talks took place in Dubai where a businessman with close ties to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is said to have initiated the outreach to Tharoor. The discussions are being framed as efforts to retain Tharoor’s influence within broader secular and left-of-centre political frameworks.
The move comes against the backdrop of internal tensions within the Congress party, especially in Kerala, following Tharoor’s absence from key strategic meetings and visible unease among state leaders. Observers have pointed to incidents like his reported snub at the Maha Panchayat programme in Kochi as contributing to the narrative of friction between Tharoor and his party’s leadership.
Despite the Dubai meetings and related political buzz, Congress sources have dismissed claims of a CPI(M) approach aimed at attracting Tharoor away from the party. According to party insiders, reports of such outreach are being treated as speculation, and they reaffirm that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remains committed to resolving any internal differences internally without defection narratives.
Tharoor, a senior Congress MP and prominent figure, has recently been in the news for other reasons as well — including his stance on issues like Operation Sindoor and his absence from high-level party strategy meetups — which some interpret as signs of internal dissent. However, Tharoor has publicly emphasized that he has not violated the Congress party line and maintains that his actions are guided by principle rather than factional politics.
Political analysts note that while the Dubai developments add fuel to speculation, any formal realignment of Tharoor’s political allegiance remains unconfirmed. Both Congress and CPM camps are likely to proceed cautiously, recognizing the sensitivity of Kerala’s electoral landscape and the importance of perceived unity among secular political forces.
Despite reports of CPM’s efforts in Dubai to engage Shashi Tharoor, the Congress party has rejected claims of an approach to lure him away. With ongoing debates about his role within the party and Kerala’s electoral strategy, the political discourse around Tharoor’s position continues to be a focal point in state and national politics.
