Highlights:
- PC Chacko quits ahead of Kerala polls
- Chacko said, “No Democracy Left In Congress”
- Kerala state polls will take place on 6th of April
PC Chacko, the Congress veteran, has quit the party on Wednesday complaining that there is “no democracy left” in the Congress party and not sparing the “high command” in his recriminations. He said, “There is no Congress party in Kerala as such,” rather just two factions of the party.
However, he has also firmly dismissed speculation about joining the BJP.
Chacko’s abrupt resignation comes as a shock for the Congress in Kerala as it comes just days before the state polls scheduled for the 6th of April.
In Delhi, he announced to the media that he had been considering the move for several days. No self-respecting politician could survive in the Congress Party in Kerala, he said in a series of truth bombs for his party.
He added, however, that there was “no question” of him joining the BJP.
Chacko said, “I have quit Congress and sent my resignation to the party’s interim chief Sonia Gandhi. I had been deliberating upon this decision for the past many days.”
He added, “I come from Kerala where there’s no Congress party as such. There are two parties – Congress (I) and Congress (A). It’s a coordination committee of two parties functioning as the Kerala Congress unit”.
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The “A” group was headed by the former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the “I” group by state chief Ramesh Chennithala and these groups had been active for many years, he said.
Chacko alleged, “Kerala is facing a crucial election. People want the Congress to come back but there’s groupism practiced by top leaders of Congress. I have been arguing with the high command that this should be ended. But the high command is also agreeing to the proposal given by both groups,” though he did not name Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.
Chacko who is 74 years old is one of the top faces of Congress and spokesperson and has also been a former Member of Parliament from Thrissur Kerala.
As he accused his party of ignoring the state leaders in the selection process of the candidates for the Kerala Polls, Chacko said, “There is no democracy left in Congress. The list of candidates has not been discussed with the state Congress committee. There are no panels for any discussions on polls, winnability of candidates.”
He added, “There have always been factions in parties, even in the Congress, but there is no point anymore.”
He caustically wondered whether votes would be counted or announced as “Congress(I) and Congress (A)”.
He added, “Being a Congressman is Kerala is very difficult. If you belong to some faction in Congress only then you can survive. The leadership of Congress is not much active.”
Chacko’s exit from the Congress will only bring embarrassment and disgrace to the party in the state where its top leader and campaigner Rahul Gandhi is an MP.
Incidentally, PC Chacko had been among those in the Congress party who have been fiercely loyal to the Gandhis. Just last year he attacked the group of 23 dissidents, dubbed “G-23”, who had called for “full-time and visible leadership” in a leaked letter.
He had voiced suspicion that the letter was by those who were opposed to Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
Today, it all changed as he said that the G-23 had raised some important questions for the party. “I did not join the G-23 for the sake of the Congress but the questions they raised are extremely important for the party. ‘What is happening in Kerala will cost the party in the election,” he warned.
