Senior leader PC Chacko has joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) days after quitting the Congress Party. Chacko joined the NCP in the presence of party supremo Sharad Pawar and senior leader Praful Patel on Tuesday.
“I am formally joining the NCP today. NCP is part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala. Once again, I am back in the LDF as a part of the NCP,” Chacko said at a press conference after joining the party.
Chacko said there is a need for a united opposition against the BJP. “Today, unity among the opposition the needed. A united opposition should emerge as an alternative to the BJP. I don't see that initiative in the party which I was a member of earlier,” he said, adding that he made a promise to Pawar that LDF will come to power in Kerala. “I will be touring in Kerala as a true soldier,” Chacko said.
Sharad Pawar also spoke at the press conference. He said that the Left is happy with Chacko joining the NCP. “Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan informed me that the Left is happy with Chacko joining the NCP,” Pawar said.
Chacko told reporters he will support the LDF in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. “I need to extend my support to the LDF,” he said. Chacko met CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. He added that he will meet Ghulam Nabi Azad soon.
Earlier, the four-time Kerala MP alleged that Congress couldn’t fight against the BJP at the national level. “There is no democracy in the high command, and there is a future for a member of the party only if you are part of a group. Moreover, the high command is also protecting the groupism within the party. There is no Congress in Kerala, as there is only ‘I’ group and ‘A’ group,” he said.
