Amidst strained ties with the party, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has missed two back-to-back key meetings of Congress, sparking speculation about his future in the party, NDTV reported. However, the four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP downplayed the buzz, saying, "I did not skip it; I was on a plane, coming from Kerala," adding he was in Kerala with his elderly mother.