Cong discusses poll strategy ahead of Kerala polls, Tharoor skips meeting

New Delhi: Ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala, the Congress' top leadership held a strategy meeting with leaders from the state, even as Shashi Tharoor skipped the key brainstorming session amid reports that he is "upset" at Rahul Gandhi ignoring him at a recent event.

The Congress, however, denied that anyone was upset. It claimed that Tharoor had already discussed his inability to attend the meeting with the leaders.

Discussing poll preparedness, campaign strategy and seat-sharing within the UDF alliance in Kerala, the party's top leadership stressed the importance of maintaining unity among the state unit ranks to ensure victory in the upcoming polls expected to take place in April.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed the people of Kerala are yearning for change, and the UDF will ensure progressive and development-oriented governance in the state.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, attended the meeting held at Kharge's residence, where all senior Kerala Congress leaders were present.

AICC general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, the party's in-charge for Kerala affairs, Deepa Dasmunshi, senior observers for Kerala polls, Sachin Pilot and K J George, senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, CLP leader V D Satheesan and Kerala unit chief Sunny Joseph were also present at the key strategy meet.

In a post on X after the meeting, Kharge said that 3.6 crore people of Kerala are yearning for change. "The Congress party, along with our partners in the UDF, is determined to ensure progressive, development-oriented, welfare-based governance in the state. An important preparatory meeting with Kerala Congress leaders was held for the forthcoming Assembly elections," he said.

Venugopal said they had a very fruitful meeting on Bihar and Kerala.

"In the Kerala meeting, election preparations were discussed, campaign mood and electioneering of the Kerala elections were also discussed. There was a very smooth discussion.

"Kharge ji and Rahul ji listened to the views of Kerala leaders, and we are unitedly going for elections. We are very much sure that we are going to cross 100 seats in this election," Venugopal told reporters after the meeting.

Chennithala said, "We also discussed the seat-sharing arrangement within the UDF alliance and how to move forward. The Congress and UDF had a big victory in the panchayat elections, and we are fully confident that the Congress party will form the government in the state with a majority in the next election."

Asked why Tharoor was absent at the meeting and whether he was upset over being sidelined, Chennithala said, "No one is upset, and there is no 'narazgi'. He had a programme in Calicut, and that is why he could not come. He had spoken with us earlier. There is no question of anyone being upset."

On Tharoor giving priority to a literary festival over the key strategy meeting, he said, "Because he was invited earlier (at the literary festival) and he had talked to us that he has to go there. There is no one getting upset."

On whether the Congress will announce a chief ministerial candidate, the senior leader said, "No face will be announced, and a decision on this will be taken after the election."

Asked if sitting MPs may contest, he said, "We will hold a meeting of the Pradesh Election Committee on who will contest or not, and we will discuss it during that meeting on January 27."

He also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has not done anything on the Sabarimala gold loss issue and claimed, "We fought with the CPI-M in Kerala while the BJP leaders are only giving speeches."

PCC chief Sunny Joseph said they had a meeting with the All India Congress Committee leaders, including Kharge and Gandhi.

"We discussed the preparation for the assembly elections in view of the thumping victory in the local body elections. We will hold the Kerala Pradesh Election Committee meeting on January 27 after lunch," he told reporters after the meeting.

Sources said that while a series of events had led to Tharoor's disappointment with the treatment meted out to him, the tipping point was Gandhi not acknowledging him at the 'Maha Panchayath' held in Kochi on January 19 to felicitate the local body poll winners.

Rahul Gandhi acknowledged other senior leaders present on the stage and took their names, but did not mention Tharoor, a four-time MP and one of the three Congress Working Committee (CWC) members from the state, who was also on the dais, the sources said.

Tharoor's office said he had informed the party of his inability to attend the meeting due to his prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode.