P.C. Chacko, the four-time Lok Sabha MP, who shot into prominence in the seventies while being part of the Indian Youth Congress led by Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, has decided to part company with the grand old party. Considered an important activist of the youth movement, he and Vyalar Ravi, also from Kerala, were two upcoming politicians then, who were rated very highly by even Indira Gandhi. Although, he was extremely close to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Chacko seems most upset since his recommendations were not accepted for the forthcoming state Assembly polls. Therefore, he has lashed out at some of his colleagues, Ramesh Chennithala, leader of Opposition, and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, accusing them of encouraging groupism and factionalism in the party.
In the current scheme of things where a new crop of leaders from Kerala have emerged in the Congress, Chacko perhaps realises that his time was indeed up and to hang his boots was the only option available to him. There is a section which believes that Sonia may persuade him to stay on and his resignation was aimed at putting pressure on the High Command. However, it is a matter of fact that with K.C. Venugopal assuming a larger role in Rahul Gandhi’s scheme of things, several veterans have been left high and dry. Thus, it is certainly not surprising that Chacko has attempted to identify himself with the points raised by dissident Congress leaders, often described as G-23. In his parting shot, he has referred to the need for having early elections for the party president and all other decision-making bodies.
So far as the factionalism in Kerala was concerned, it was not helping the overall effort to rebuild the organisation which was in total disarray. Chacko had encouraged dissidence and groupism in the Delhi Congress while he was the general secretary in-charge, because of which several prominent leaders had withdrawn themselves from day-to-day functioning. As the Delhi in-charge, he was perceived to be on the side of Ajay Maken, a close aide of Rahul while being acutely critical of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Those who enjoyed his patronage are of the view that his attacks on Dikshit were not personal but in his estimation, the former CM had not allowed the organisation to thrive, while running a government for 15 continuous years. The party ran the government, but disintegrated in the process, and today is in a very dismal state. The supreme irony is that at one time, Congress leaders would claim that there were only two places where the real party cadres existed. The first was Kerala and the second was Delhi. In the capital, the Aam Aadmi Party has usurped the Congress space and in Kerala, the Left Front is likely to reverse the trend and achieve yet another victory, something that must be worrying 10, Janpath greatly.
Chacko has had his innings and, therefore, has nothing left to lose. However, those who are looking at the Congress for a future in politics, would have nothing to fall back once the situation further deteriorates.