Sad to see Pilot 'leave' Congress: Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said he was sad to see Sachin Pilot "leave" the Congress and asserted that instead of "parting", the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister should have joined the effort to make the party a more effective instrument for "his and our dreams".

However, when asked on Twitter whether Pilot had left the party, Tharoor said, "Not formally. I certainly hope that reconciliation is still possible. The events of the last few days led me to draw an obvious inference."

"If he returns to the fold and works for a revived and reformed @incIndia, he would be more than welcome," the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

The Congress on Tuesday cracked the whip on dissident leader Pilot, stripping him of the posts of deputy chief minister and the party's Rajasthan unit president for revolting against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Responding to the developments, Tharoor tweeted, "I am sad to see @SachinPilot leave @INCIndia. 

"I consider him one of our best & brightest, and wish it had not come to this. Instead of parting, he should have joined the effort to make the Party a better & more effective instrument for his, and our, dreams."