Indian-origin politician Saikat Chakrabarti, who is running against Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi to represent San Francisco in the US Congress, has launched a fresh attack on senior Democratic figures, accusing them of failing their party and the American people.
Chakrabarti, a former software engineer turned political advisor, targeted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, calling his leadership ineffective. Jeffries, a seven-term congressman, is the highest-ranking Democrat in the US House of Representatives.
In an interview with news outlet Zeteo on Monday, Chakrabarti said Jeffries had “failed as leader for the Democratic Party” and made it clear he would not support him if elected to Congress. “Hakeem Jeffries should be primaried. I am going to be calling for people to primary all the Democrats who have completely failed this party,” he said.
Later, sharing a clip of the interview on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Chakrabarti reiterated his stance and called for a complete overhaul of the party. “It’s not just me. Nearly 80 people running for Congress declined to support Jeffries for leader,” he wrote.
“We need new people to run across the country to completely rebuild this party to be one that can stop an authoritarian coup and build an economy that works for working people.”
Who is Saikat Chakrabarti?
A Harvard University graduate in computer science, Chakrabarti began his career in technology before moving into progressive politics. According to his LinkedIn profile, he relocated to San Francisco in 2009 and has spent more than a decade working in political reform movements.
He worked on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign and later co-founded ‘Justice Democrats’ in 2017, a group known for recruiting progressive candidates nationwide. He also played a key role in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s historic 2018 congressional campaign and served as her Chief of Staff in 2019.
Chakrabarti launched his campaign against Pelosi in February 2025, arguing that the 85-year-old leader no longer represents the new challenges facing America. His campaign website says Pelosi “does not understand the anti-Democratic, anti-Constitution, and anti-American forces we are up against in 2025.”
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
