In a move that further deepens the rift and the rut that the INC finds itself in, senior Congress leader from Kerala, PC Chacko has quit the party on the eve of state assembly elections. Chacko quit the party citing a lack of intra-party democracy. The party veteran post his resignation hit out at the INC as he complained that there was “no democracy left” in the party and not sparing the “high command” in his recriminations.
Hinting towards rampant groupism in the Kerala unit of the party, Chacko said, “There is no Congress party in Kerala as such.”
The former member of parliament 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. I come from Kerala where there’s no Congress party as such. There are two parties – Congress (I) (headed by state chief Ramesh Chennithala) and Congress (A) (headed by former Kerala CM Oomen Chandy). It’s a coordination committee of two parties functioning as the Kerala Congress unit.”
Elaborating more on the same, Chacko said, “Kerala is facing a crucial election. People want the Congress to come back but there’s groupism practised 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.”
Chacko then proceeded to highlight the party’s lack of preparedness for the Kerala Assembly elections in April. “There is no democracy left in the party. 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. There have always been factions in parties, even in the Congress, but there is no point anymore.”
Without naming the Gandhi family, Chacko claimed that the party is suffering from a leadership crisis. “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.”
The former Gandhi family loyalist claimed that the party is all set to lose the Kerala elections. “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.”
If Chacko’s assertions do come true, it would mean that the Left front would break Kerala’s rule of having alternative governments as the power in the state has alternated between the CPI(M) led LDF front and UDF front led by the grand old party.
