‘Parallel activities not allowed in Kerala Congress’: Satheesan over Shashi Tharoor's Malabar tour

Opponents in the party believe Tharoor was attempting to position himself as an ideal Chief Ministerial candidate of the Congress-led UDF for the 2026 Assembly elections in order to end the state's rule by the CPI(M)-led LDF

VD Satheesan and Shashi Tharoor (ANI; Representational purpose only)

New Delhi: Apparently alarmed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's Malabar tour, Kerala Assembly Leader V D Satheesan said on Tuesday that any sectarianism or parallel activities would not be tolerated in the party and that such moves would be dealt with "seriously." The state unit of the Congress is on a comeback path in the state after two consecutive Assembly elections debacles, and it is not healthy enough to support any additional parallel activities, Satheesan told reporters here. His remarks come as a significant portion of the state Congress party is dissatisfied with Tharoor's ongoing tour. When asked about Tharoor's Malabar tour, Satheesan said that every leader has a place within the Congress and that no one is opposed to it, but that the party has its own mechanisms and systems.

VD Satheesan said no parallel activities will be allowed

"The Congress in Kerala is not at all healthy to afford any more parallel activities...After suffering two drubbings in the assembly polls, the party is in a comeback mode in the state. Everybody is working as a team now. At this time, no one will be allowed to do any parallel activities." However, no names were mentioned in the LoP. He accused the media of "peddling stories with an agenda" in order to weaken the Congress in the southern state and said the party could not accept this. "We cannot accept the agenda of weakening the Congress party even if it is done by any media or social media. If anyone within the party has any role in this, it will be dealt with seriously," he said.

Shashi Tharoor’s opponents feel:

Satheesan also said such false news reports could not destroy leaders like him as they were not "inflated balloons," that could be punctured with a pin prick. Though media persons repeatedly asked whether Tharoor was an "inflated balloon", he declined to comment. The LoP also indicated that the Thiruvananthapuram MP did not take part in any of the ongoing agitations by the party workers in the state capital, which was Tharoor's constituency. Tharoor's opponents in the party feel that through his programmes he was trying to position himself as an ideal Chief Ministerial candidate of the Congress-led UDF for the 2026 Assembly polls to end the rule of the CPI(M)-led LDF in the state.

(With agencies inputs)