In a jolt to the Congress, senior leader PC Chacko resigned from the party on Wednesday, 10 March.
“I have quit Congress and sent my resignation to party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi,” he said, reported news agency ANI.
Chacko’s resignation comes just weeks ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, which are scheduled for 6 April.
Why Chacko Resigned
Addressing the media, Chacko said that he had been deliberating on the decision for a while.
“I had been deliberating upon this decision for past many days. I come from Kerala where there is no Congress party as such. There are two parties - Congress (I) & Congress (A). It is a coordination committee of two parties functioning as KPCC,” he said, added ANI.
“Kerala is facing a crucial election. People want the Congress to come back but there is groupism practised by top leaders of Congress. I have been arguing with the high command that this should end. But the high command is also agreeing to the proposal given by both groups,” he added.
Congress Netas Slam Resignation
Congress leaders including Anand Sharma said that the ones who want to leave the party will leave it eventually.
“Those who have to leave will leave, it happens in political parties. But the Congress party will show how it can unitedly fight in this elections. That will be the endeavour of the Congress,” he said according to ANI.
Congress MP Hibi Eden said that Chacko was a valuable asset to the Congress and was given opportunities by the central leadership.
“He (PC Chacko) is a very senior Congress leader who has been given ample opportunities by the Central leadership. He is a valuable asset for the Congress. I don't think it was a wise decision at this crucial juncture where Congress is going into an important election,” Eden told ANI.
Meanwhile, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who himself is facing a no-confidence motion, said that mistrust was rampant in the Congress which can be seen by Chacko’s resignation.
“Mistrust culture is an old Congress tradition. With PC Chacko leaving the party, this mistrust can be seen within the party,” he said.
Chacko’s Decades of Association With the Congress
Beginning his political career in the Kerala Students Union, Chacko was once the Indian Youth Congress state president. He was first elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Piravam constituency in 1980 and was appointed as the Minister for Industries in EK Nayanar’s Cabinet.
Chacko was a Member of Parliament from the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat between 2009-2014.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Chacko contested from the Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency but was defeated by film artist Innocent.
He was also the chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the alleged scam in the grant of 2G spectrum and telecom license from 1998 to 2009.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)