Section of Delhi Congress leaders speak up against party in-charge PC Chacko

A section of leaders in Delhi Congress have demanded replacement of its AICC in-charge PC Chacko in the wake of Lok Sabha poll debacle of the party in the national capital.

Under the stewardship of Chacko, the Congress was engaged in long drawn discussion over pre-poll alliance with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which finally did not materialise but caused delay in announcement of party candidates in Delhi.

Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit who opposed the alliance with the AAP was fielded along with other senior, well-known faces, like former president of the unit Ajay Maken, in the Lok Sabha polls but they suffered massive defeats in all seven seats.

Chacko was made in-charge of Delhi Congress in November 2014.

"Under leadership of Chacko the party has lost all the elections including the recent Lok Sabha polls as well as Assembly and MCD polls in 2015 and 2017. If Rahul Gandhi can think of resigning taking moral responsibility of the defeat, why should Chacko not also resign," said party leader Rohit Manchanda.

His view was supported by some other leaders in the party saying Chacko should step down since even Dikshit has proposed to resign over the party's defeat.

Manchanda, who lost Delhi Assembly polls from Saket seat in 2003 by just 116 votes, alleged that Chacko "misbheaved" with him at Delhi Congress office on Friday.

"I was there to greet him but he lashed out at me and said that he will ensure that leaders like me have no right to be there in Delhi Congress. I demand Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to replace him with some other leader as in-charge of Delhi Congress," Manchanda told PTI.

He said that after the humiliating defeat of Congress in Delhi in parliamentary polls, he had written a Facebook post demanding resignation of Chacko which could be reason why he was "berated" by the senior leader.

Chacko denied Manchanda's allegation. "Nothing like that happened. He may be some unimportant person, I do not know him much," he told PTI.

Another senior Delhi Congress leader, who confirmed Manchanda's allegation, said, "Everybody is concerned by such a big defeat in Lok Sabha polls so its natural that people responsible for it should quit. Party leaders and workers are losing confidence in contesting Assembly polls early next year under charge of Chacko."