Shashi Tharoor misses VD Satheesan's oath-taking in Kerala today. Here's why

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Shashi Tharoor was in the United States to deliver an address at his alma mater, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during the swearing-in ceremony of the state government, in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. (AICC/ANI Photo)

VD Satheesan, who led the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) back to power in Kerala after a decade by decimating the Left front, took oath as Kerala Chief Minister today, 18 May.

Satheesan's 20 Cabinet members were also sworn in at a grand function here with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administering the oath of office. Alliance parties, including the UDF's second largest constituent IUML, have also been accommodated in the ministry.

Satheesan took the oath in the name of God, and amidst loud cheers from the hundreds of supporters who had poured in to the state capital from various parts of Kerala.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others, attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), A Revanth Reddy (Telangana) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar were in attendance. Satheesan's predecessor and Marxist veteran Pinarayi Vijayan, Left leaders, and BJP representatives also attended the ceremony.

Why Tharoor didn't attend Satheesan swearing-in today?

However, one senior leader from Kerala, Shashi Tharoor was not present at the oath-taking today.

Where was Tharoor? The Congress MP was out of India. Tharoor was in the United States to deliver an address at his alma mater, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

He had informed on Friday, May 15, that he would not be able to attend the ceremony because of a prior commitment.

“I’m sorry to be missing the swearing-in ceremony of my @incKerala colleague and new CM of Kerala vdsatheesan. 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 @TuftsUniversity — and also to participate in the 50th anniversary reunion of my graduating class!” Tharoor wrote in X.

I'm sorry to be missing the swearing-in ceremony of my @incKerala colleague and new CM of Kerala vdsatheesan.

The Assembly elections to the 140-member House were held on 9 April, with results declared on May 4. The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats, the LDF secured 35, and the BJP won three.

(With agency inputs)

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