Speculation regarding Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's increasing closeness to the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was once again fueled on Friday after a mysterious social media post by senior BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda.
Posting a photo of himself sitting alongside Tharoor on a flight to Bhubaneswar, Panda wrote mischievously: "My friend & fellow traveller tagged me as mischievous for having said that we appear to be finally moving in the same direction."
Tharoor, the Lok Sabha member representing Thiruvananthapuram, jumped into action to clarify that he was going to Bhubaneswar to address the Kalinga Literary Festival the next day. In his response, he joked, "Fellow traveller only to Bhubaneswar! I am speaking at the Kalinga LitFest tomorrow morning. And coming right back!!"
Even after Tharoor's clarification, Panda's enigmatic message stoked more rumors of the Congress leader's changing political loyalties. Tharoor has also recently generated controversies with his statements that seem to compliment Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy, especially on global issues, and the current splits in the Congress party.
At the Raisina Dialogue, Tharoor admitted to misjudging India's position on the Russia-Ukraine war, acknowledging Modi’s neutral stance and calling it an effective diplomatic move. "I am still wiping the egg off my face because I was one of the ones who have been critical of India's stand back in February 2022. Three years later, and I was mistaken. India is now led by a Prime Minister who can hug both the President of Ukraine as well as the President of Russia within two weeks and still remain welcome in both. That says India is capable of making a difference to eternal peace," said Tharoor.
Earlier this year, Tharoor had also caused a stir within the Congress when he praised the outcome of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States, calling it “very good,” which left many within the party uneasy.
Adding to the speculation, Tharoor's strained relationship with the Congress leadership, particularly in Kerala, has led to further rumors about his potential shift toward the BJP.
In his reply to Panda's post, Tharoor explained that his visit to Bhubaneswar was exclusively for the 11th edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival, an annual celebration of art, culture, and literature. The festival is attended by literary personalities from all over South East Asia and the globe, speaking some 25 languages.
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