As Tharoor meets Rahul and Kharge for 2 hours, what happened behind closed doors?

Sources in the Congress said that during the meeting, Gandhi told Tharoor he is very much needed for the party, and assured him that he will be taken into confidence on all key decisions of the Congress in Kerala. “Rahul Gandhi did most of the talking in the meeting. He insisted that the party needs Tharoor and that he should campaign for the (Congress-led) UDF in Kerala for the assembly election. He has assured him that Tharoor will be kept in the loop for all the major party decisions in Kerala. Rahul ji told him that the Congress has to work together and win Kerala,” said a source.

“Issues are sorted out,” a source close to Tharoor told The Indian Express after the meeting at Kharge’s office in Parliament House.

Thanks to @INCIndia President @kharge ji and LS LoP @RahulGandhi ji for a warm and constructive discussion today on a wide range of subjects. We are all on the same page as we move forward in the service of the people of India. pic.twitter.com/T5l8jqkhUT

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 29, 2026

According to sources, Tharoor spoke in detail about issues he has been facing in the party. He specifically mentioned the “insult” he felt at the recent grand mahapanchayat in Kochi, which was inaugurated by Gandhi last week, it is learnt. Gandhi took the names of several party leaders who were on the dais while beginning his speech, but skipped Tharoor’s. It was learnt that Tharoor had informed Deepa Dasmunsi, the AICC in charge of Kerala and Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, about his displeasure.

“Gandhi asked him to forget what happened so far… He said it is important for the Congress to win Kerala, and everyone should work together. Tharoor is important for the party, and the party leadership is conscious of his contributions,” said a source, adding that it was Venugopal who facilitated Thursday’s meeting to sort out the issues.

Tharoor and the Congress top brass, both at the national level and in Kerala, have not been on the same page on many issues, often fueling speculation about his future in the grand old party and creating the perception that he may be emerging as a rebel extraordinaire.

But after Thursday’s meeting, Tharoor seemed positive and said: “We had a discussion with my two party leaders, with the LOP and Congress president. We had a very good, constructive discussion. All is good, and we are moving forward together on the same page.”

Asked if there was a discussion on the CM candidate for Kerala, Tharoor said: “No. That was never the issue. Frankly, I am not interested in being a candidate for anything. I am an MP, and I have the trust of voters in Parliament. That is my job.”

Tharoor is an important asset for the party as it gears up for the Assembly polls in Kerala. Of the states headed for Assembly polls over the next few months, Kerala is the only one where the embattled party has a realistic chance of winning. While the Congress is a minor player in Tamil Nadu, it is in many ways a fringe force in West Bengal. The electoral battle in Assam, Congress leaders admit, is going to be an uphill task for the party.