Tharoor's absence from campaign puts Cong in spot

Though leaders from all levels of the Congress in the state, including Wayanad MP and national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, campaigned for UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath in Nilambur, missing in action was its star face Shashi Tharoor.

- K S SREEJITH @T'Puram

Over the past 22 days -- from May 26 when the election was notified to June 17, the day the bypoll campaigning ended -- neither the state nor the national leadership of the party approached Tharoor to get him to be a part of the high-octane campaign in Nilambur, it is learnt.

Congress state president Sunny Joseph had this to say: "Shashi Tharoor did not come to Nilambur."

Asked whether the party leadership had contacted Tharoor, Sunny said he failed to contact Tharoor despite attempts as he was on a foreign trip.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal told a television channel that though he expected Tharoor to be present for campaigning, he did not see him in Nilambur.