Former senior Congress leader PC Chacko joins Sharad Pawar's NCP

PC Chacko, who resigned from the Congress last week, joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday. Chacko joined the NCP in New Delhi in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar and senior leader Praful Patel.

Speaking to journalists after joining the NCP, Chacko said it was like 'homecoming for him'.

"I am happy to be in NCP, it's like a homecoming for me. I had the opportunity to work with Pawar sahab in the most difficult times," Chacko said.

PC Chacko, who was a former working committee member of the Congress, criticised the Sonia Gandhi-led



party and said that the organisation lacked the will to be a strong opposition.

"Country needs a strong opposition, I didn't see much of the effort from the party I was in," Chacko, who is the second senior leader to quit the Congress after Jyotiraditya Scindia, said.

Chacko said he would be campaigning for the LDF during the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala. "I have become a part of LDF now...I will be touring Kerala and will be campaigning for LDF," he said.

Chacko had resigned from the Congress alleging that there was no democracy left in the party.