Giving a major blow to the Congress, PC Chacko resigned from the Congress on Wednesday citing groupism and lack of leadership.
I have quit Congress and sent my resignation to party’s interim chief Sonia Gandhi: Senior Congress leader PC Chacko pic.twitter.com/YJsoZch1oE
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2021
“There is no democracy left in the Congress. The candidate list has not been discussed with the State Congress Committee. I have left the Congress and sent my resignation to the interim head of the party, Sonia Gandhi, Chacko told a press conference.
I’d been deliberating upon this decision for past many days. I come from Kerala where there’s no Congress party as such. There are 2 parties – Congress (I) & Congress (A). It’s coordination committee of 2 parties functioning as KPCC: PC Chacko announces resignation from Congress pic.twitter.com/Yuo0aRnraf
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2021
Chacko said factionalism within the party made it impossible for him to remain in the Congress. He said that his resignation symbolized his opposition against the Congress.
“I worked hard for the party, but it is really hard to work with the Kerala Congress team. I stood with every decision taken by the Congress, but now it is very difficult. You cannot run a party with a central character Huh.” The veteran politician said.
He said that the Congress is acting like a party without a head and has remained in the post of president continuously for a year.
He said that the party has not been able to get a president for more than a year, adding that no party, including Rahul Gandhi, is questioning the leadership. He said that the Congress party is getting weaker with each passing day.
Chacko was part of the 40-member Kerala State Election Committee. Voting will take place on 6 April in Kerala.
Beginning his political career in the Kerala Students’ Union, Chacko was once the state president of the Indian Youth Congress. He was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Piravam constituency in 1980 and was appointed as the Minister of Industry in EK Nayanar’s cabinet.
Chacko was a Member of Parliament from Thrissur Lok Sabha seat from 2009 to 2014.
He was also the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee investigating the alleged scam of granting 2G spectrum and telecom licenses from 1998 to 2009.