NEW DELHI: After the Congress drew a blank, resentment is brewing in the party ranks against AICC in-charge of Delhi affairs PC Chacko with a section of leaders demanding his replacement.
Some of them are of the view that it was due to Chacko, who was in favour of an alliance with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, the announcement of Congress candidates got delayed. Chacko is overseeing work of Delhi Congress since November 2014.
Under Chacko’s stewardship, the Congress was engaged in a lengthy discussion with the AAP, but the talks did not materialise. “Because of the alliance talks, the party could not declare its candidates, which ultimately became a reason for the drubbing,” said a Delhi Congress leader. Though Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit and other senior faces like Ajay Maken were fielded, they suffered massive defeats in all seven seats.
“Under the leadership of Chacko, the party has lost all the elections, including the recent Lok Sabha polls as well as the Assembly and the MCD polls in 2015 and 2017. If Rahul Gandhi can think of resigning taking moral responsibility of the defeat, why should Chacko not resign?” asserted party leader Rohit Manchanda.
He alleged that Chacko misbehaved with him at the Delhi Congress office on Friday. “I demand Rahul and Sonia Gandhi to replace him with some other leader.”However, Chacko denied Manchanda’s allegation. “Nothing like that happened. He may be some unimportant person, I do not know him much,” he said.