THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — After weeks of silence on Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Friday said that he would campaign actively across all constituencies in the state ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Satheesan’s statement comes on the heels of a two-hour heart-to-heart discussion in Delhi on Thursday between Tharoor, Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge, and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, at the Parliament House.
The meeting reportedly cleared misunderstandings and reinforced party unity ahead of the crucial polls.
Until now, Satheesan had largely avoided commenting on Tharoor, often turning away or remaining silent whenever asked about the MP’s perceived indifference or differences with the party leadership.
“After yesterday’s discussions in Delhi, there is now clarity. He will be campaigning in all the constituencies,” Satheesan said, signalling a visible thaw in previously tense relations.
Tharoor, who was present at the state party headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, also met senior leaders, including A.K. Antony, further cementing reconciliation within the party’s Kerala unit.
Party insiders said these engagements were aimed at presenting a united front in the run-up to the state elections, quelling reports of factionalism that had occasionally surfaced in the media.
Tharoor on Friday took to his social media account and posted: “I have been reading fanciful accounts of who said what in my meeting with @INCIndiaPresident @kharge and LokSabha LoP @RahulGandhi. Let me stress that there were only three of us in the room, and none of us has spoken to the media in such detail. My only comments have been those made publicly; everything else is sheer speculation. I deplore this kind of irresponsible journalism, which gives authentic reporting a bad name”.
Satheesan emphasised that the focus now is on the party’s electoral strategy and connecting with voters statewide.
He underlined that from grassroots organisers to senior functionaries, all would work together to strengthen the party’s prospects in every constituency.
The Congress appears determined to project unity and consolidate its support ahead of the polls.
Party sources believe this newfound cohesion could provide a decisive edge in the upcoming electoral battle. — IANS
