Infighting resurfaces in Sikkim Congress

Infighting has resurfaced in SPCC with Lachungpa going to court against SPCC president for "sullying" his image.

Infighting has resurfaced in Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee with senior party leader and AICC member Thukchok Lachungpa going to court against SPCC president Nar Bahadur Bhandari for "sullying" his image.

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Lachungpa, who is also the treasurer of the North-East Congress Coordination Committee (NECCC), has filed a criminal suit against Bhandari in the district and sessions court here for levelling unfounded allegations against him in a letter written to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi a few months ago, he told reporters in Gangtok on Sunday.

In the letter to Gandhi in June last, Bhandari had described Lachungpa and six other party leaders as 'mischief makers' who took money from Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling to work against the Congress party.

Lachungpa had reacted sharply to the charges calling them baseless and personal in nature and asked Bhandari in writing to either substantiate the allegations or apologise.

"When Bhandari did not respond I decided to move the court", Lachungpa said.

The people named in Bhandari's letter, including Lachungpa had earlier been in the forefront of an oust- Bhandari campaign in Sikkim. In a memorandum submitted to the party high command they had demanded Bhandari's ouster as he was allegedly running the party in an autocratic manner.

The AICC member, however, added that he had not gone to court against Bhandari as a Congressman but as an individual to clear himself of the charges.