Congress leader Tharoor to lead all-party foreign delegation, bypassing Congress nomination list

New Delhi, May 17: In a move that has stirred political intrigue, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been named to lead one of seven all-party delegations being sent abroad by the government to present the country’s unified stand on terrorism and its recent cross-border military operations, despite not being nominated by his own party. The delegations, scheduled to visit major global capitals, including those of UN Security Council members, aim to convey India’s position in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and why Operation Sindoor, the country’s military strike against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.

While Tharoor expressed his readiness to serve the national cause, saying, “When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting,” the Congress party has expressed dismay over what it calls the government’s “dishonesty” in finalising the list of participants. Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said the party was surprised to see Tharoor’s name in the official press release.

“We were asked for names. We expected that the names we had given would be included. We hoped that the names given by the party would be included. But when we saw the press release of PIB, we were surprised. I cannot say what will happen now. Asking four names, giving four names, and announcing another name is dishonest on the government’s part,” Jairam Ramesh told ANI. Earlier, Jairam Ramesh had confirmed that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju requested four Congress nominees on the morning of May 16. By noon, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, responded with four names: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar. Tharoor’s appointment, however, came through the government’s own selection process, reportedly coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs and finalised before the press announcement.

The full list of MPs leading the delegations includes:

Shashi Tharoor

(Indian National Congress)

Ravi Shankar Prasad

(Bharatiya Janata Party)

Sanjay Kumar Jha

(Janata Dal United)

Baijayant Panda

(Bharatiya Janata Party)

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

(Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)

Supriya Sule

(Nationalist Congress Party)

Shrikant Eknath Shinde

(Shiv Sena)

The government has framed the move as a bipartisan effort to demonstrate India’s national resolve in the face of terrorism. “This effort transcends party lines,” said Rijiju in an earlier statement. “We must speak with one voice.” Still, the internal friction has prompted criticism from both sides. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya accused Congress of sidelining one of its most articulate global voices. “No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence and foreign policy experience. Why then was he omitted from the Congress list? Is it insecurity or intolerance toward those who outshine the ‘high command’?” he asked.

While the Congress remains miffed, Tharoor has chosen to rise above the party dispute. With his international credibility and experience at the UN, his participation is expected to boost India’s messaging abroad. According to ANI, the delegations are expected to meet policymakers, lawmakers, and think tanks across five strategic capitals to brief them on India’s response to the Pahalgam attack and assert its zero-tolerance position on cross-border terrorism. As tensions simmer over the Congress-government coordination misfire, the broader diplomatic objective appears unchanged: projecting a united India against terror.