Shashi Tharoor, the four-time Congress Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, set off new political chatter on Wednesday as he sent Maha Shivratri wishes, sharing a personal affinity with the festival. He revealed that he was born on the sacred day and named "Shashi" after the crescent moon on Lord Shiva's forehead.
Taking to social media, Tharoor tweeted on X:
"I was born on Mahashivratri and named Shashi for the crescent moon on Lord Shiva's forehead. In the Kerala calendar, my 'nakshatram birthday' is today. It has always been a very special day for my family."
With his message, he posted a photo of Lord Shiva and wrote, "May all sorrows be removed by the grace of Lord Shiva."
His writing is timed amid the continuing tensions with the Congress party, which has been questioning him over his recent admiration of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In Kerala's Congress circles, admiration for either of them is perceived as a departure from the party line, adding fuel to speculation on the political path of Tharoor.
In spite of internal unhappiness, Tharoor keeps appearing in the limelight. On Tuesday, he tweeted a photo on X with British Minister Jonathan Reynolds and India's Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal while they talked about trade deals. "The long-delayed FTA talks have been reinstated, which is most welcome," he pointed out.
These movements have added more speculation regarding the future of Tharoor within the Congress. Since his failure to win the Congress President elections, he is said to have been in confrontation with the Kerala state unit. His recent interaction with Rahul Gandhi was interpreted as an effort to clear the air regarding his future in the party, where he is said to have complained of being marginalized and kept out of key Parliamentary speeches.
Though Tharoor has steered clear of making explicit words regarding internal strife, his social media outings keep suggesting hidden unrest, keeping political circles abuzz about his future course.
