Desk Correspondent , Thiruvananthapuram - Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was notably absent from Monday’s grand swearing-in ceremony of Kerala’s newly appointed Chief Minister, VD Satheesan, at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The United Democratic Front (UDF) marked a monumental return to power by winning 102 of the 140 legislative assembly seats, effectively dismantling a decade of rule by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front. While top Congress dignitaries including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and KC Venugopal attended the historic political event, Tharoor’s empty seat sparked immediate speculation across political circles in the state.

Addressing the rumors surrounding his absence, the Thiruvananthapuram MP clarified that a prior international commitment kept him from participating in the state’s victory celebrations. Tharoor traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, over the weekend to deliver the prestigious Commencement address at the graduation ceremony of his alma mater, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University. Additionally, the diplomat-turned-politician participated in the milestone 50th-anniversary reunion of his own graduating class. Tharoor had formally notified his party colleagues about his schedule in advance on May 15, describing the trip as a rare occasion to celebrate his personal past in the United States while continuing to look forward to the political future of Kerala.

Despite being thousands of miles away, the senior parliamentarian extended his enthusiastic support and congratulations to the incoming administration online. On Monday morning, Tharoor shared a heartfelt message on social media, emphasizing that he would be deeply thinking of Satheesan, his Kerala Congress colleagues, and their allied UDF partners on this happy occasion. The new government takes charge following intense internal party deliberations for the leadership role, where the high command ultimately selected Satheesan over senior leader KC Venugopal due to his immense popularity among coalition allies.