Why Is Shashi Tharoor Not Attending VD Satheesan’s Swearing-In as Kerala CM?
Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor has said he will miss VD Satheesan’s swearing-in ceremony as Kerala chief minister because he is in Boston to deliver the commencement address at Tufts University’s Fletcher School and attend his class reunion. Tharoor’s absence comes even as his influence within the Congress and Kerala politics appears to be growing after the UDF’s election victory.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said he will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Kerala chief minister-designate VD Satheesan on Monday, April 18, due to prior commitments in the United States.
As Kerala prepares for the high-profile oath-taking event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor on Friday shared a message on X explaining that he is currently in Boston to participate in an academic event at his alma mater, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. VD Satheesan Net Worth: New Kerala CM Declares Assets Worth Over INR 6 Crore.
Why Is Shashi Tharoor Not Attending VD Satheesan’s Swearing-In as Kerala CM?
Tharoor Explains His Absence
In his social media post, Tharoor said he had travelled to the United States to deliver the commencement address at the graduation ceremony of the Fletcher School and attend the 50th anniversary reunion of his graduating class.
“I’m sorry to be missing the swearing-in ceremony of my Kerala Congress colleague and new CM of Kerala VD Satheesan. I am in Boston this weekend to deliver the Commencement address at the graduation ceremony of my alma mater, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University — and also to participate in the 50th anniversary reunion of my graduating class!" Tharoor said. “An occasion for celebrating the past in the US, even as I look forward to the future in Kerala," he added. Who Is VD Satheesan? Congress Picks New Kerala CM.
Although Tharoor will not be present at the ceremony, political observers say his absence is unlikely to affect his growing influence within the Congress party and Kerala politics.
Over the past several months, the Thiruvananthapuram MP has appeared to improve his equation with the Congress high command after a period of strained ties with sections of the party’s state leadership. Tharoor also emerged as one of the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s prominent campaigners during the recently concluded Kerala Assembly elections.
Several candidates across Kerala reportedly sought Tharoor’s presence during the election campaign, particularly in urban constituencies and among younger voters where he continues to enjoy strong public visibility.
The Congress formally announced VD Satheesan as Kerala’s chief minister-designate on Thursday following extensive internal discussions after the alliance’s decisive electoral victory.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front secured 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, returning to power after spending a decade in the opposition. The Congress itself won 63 seats, emerging as the single-largest party in the alliance.
VD Satheesan is expected to take oath as Kerala’s new chief minister in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday in the presence of senior Congress leaders, alliance partners and party workers. The ceremony marks the beginning of a new UDF government after the alliance’s strong performance in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 16, 2026 12:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).