In a blow to the Congress in poll bound Kerala, Senior leader P C Chacko on Wednesday announced his resignation from the party, alleging group interest in deciding party candidates for the assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference, Chacko said he will send his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

He alleged that the party's candidates for April 6 Assembly polls in Kerala were being determined in an undemocratic way by two groups --"A" group headed by Oommen Chandy and "I" group headed by Ramesh Chennithala.

"There is no democracy left in Congress. The list of candidates has not been discussed with the state Congress committee. There are no panels for any discussions on polls, winnability of candidates. There have always been factions in parities, even in the Congress, but there is no point anymore. I have submitted my resignation to Sonia Gandhi," Chacko said during the press conference, as quoted by NDTV.

The two groups have been active in the state unit of Congress since the period of veteran leader and late K Karunkaran and senior leader AK Antony.

While the A group was then headed by Antony, the I group was led by Karunakaran.

Chacko was one of the members known to be loyal to the Gandhi family. He had called out the “G-23” leaders or the dissenters in the party who had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi last year.