A Shashi Tharoor Selfie With Pinarayi Vijayan Days After Congress Unity Show

Shashi Tharoor has shared a selfie with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, displaying rare bonhomie despite their bitter political rivalry in the state. The Congress MP's latest post has raised eyebrows days after his praise for the Left government upset his party colleagues and prompted damage control by Rahul Gandhi.

Mr Tharoor shared three images on his X handle this morning, including two selfies -with Mr Vijayan and Governor Rajendra Arlekar. The photos were clicked during a dinner hosted by the Governor last night to discuss the problems faced by the state.

Greatly appreciate the gesture of @KeralaGovernor Rajendra Arlekar in hosting all Kerala MPs to a dinner discussion last night on the problems being faced by the state and the need for collective action. @CMOKerala @pinarayivijayan also attended and spoke briefly. This unusual… pic.twitter.com/zasV4brMhv

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 12, 2025

"Greatly appreciate the gesture of @KeralaGovernor Rajendra Arlekar in hosting all Kerala MPs to a dinner discussion last night on the problems being faced by the state and the need for collective action. @CMOKerala @pinarayivijayan also attended and spoke briefly," said the Congress MP.

"This unusual gesture augurs well for our combined efforts to develop the state, beyond our political differences," he added.

Read: Congress Boss's Kerala Video Features Shashi Tharoor After "No Rift" Claim

The selfies follow a newspaper article by the former diplomat praising the LDF government's handling of Kerala's economy and the industrial growth in the state. This, however, did not go down well with the state Congress, the main opposition party in Kerala and the biggest critic of the Vijayan government.

The Congress accused Mr Tharoor of presenting a "distorted" political practice, sparking speculations of a rift between the politician and the state party leadership. Defending himself, the MP had clarified that he was merely highlighting the state's progress.

The speculations threatened to escalate with a defiant Mr Tharoor asserting that he had other "options" if his service was not needed in the Congress, but later clarified he had spoken in the context of spending time, and not political options.

Read: "Dismayed": Shashi Tharoor On Kerala Startups Days After Remark Sparked Row

Mr Tharoor backtracked on his praises after a news report claimed over 42,000 MSMEs had shut down in Kerala over the past nine years and said that he was "dismayed to see that the Kerala start-up entrepreneurship story is not what's been reported."

The Congress tried to project unity amid the rift buzz with its central leadership sharing videos with the senior leader. A post shared by former party chief Rahul Gandhi asserted that they "stand as one" - with a photo of Mr Tharoor and other leaders.