Congress to review Kerala poll strategy amid 'Tharoor row'

New Delhi, Feb 27 (PTI) The Congress top brass will hold a meeting with senior leaders from Kerala on Friday amid a row over Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor's recent article in a newspaper that drew criticism from some party leaders.

During the meeting, the status of the organisation and preparations for the assembly elections to be held next year will be discussed, sources said.

The meeting of Kerala leaders comes amid the row over Tharoor's recent article in a newspaper that drew criticism from some Congress leaders in Kerala for his perceived praise of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the state for boosting the investment climate.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary organisation K C Venugopal, the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, the Leader of the Legislative Party, MPs and many other senior leaders are expected to be present at the meeting.

A day before the meeting, Tharoor hit out at the media for misrepresenting his remarks made in Malayalam in a podcast.

The Congress is the main opposition party in Kerala and is seeking to wrest power from the LDF.

Assembly elections are set to take place in Kerala in March-April next year.

Tharoor's article in the English language daily, praising the entrepreneurial growth in Kerala under the LDF government, kicked off a political storm in the state a week ago, with the Congress questioning the basis of it while the CPI(M) welcomed it.

Later, Tharoor's remarks in a Malayalam podcast were seen by many as pitching himself for leadership in the state. He is said to have been upset with a section of the state leadership. PTI