Meet Saikat Chakrabarti: The Indian-American Taking On Pelosi And Calling Out Top Democrats
A Harvard University graduate in computer science, Chakrabarti began his career in technology before turning to progressive politics. He moved to San Francisco in 2009.
Saikat Chakrabarti, an Indian-origin software engineer turned political adviser, has launched a scathing attack on senior Democratic leaders as he campaigns to unseat veteran politician Nancy Pelosi and represent San Francisco in the US Congress. Chakrabarti, who once served as chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and co-founded the progressive group Justice Democrats, accused House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and others of “failing the party”. He also called for a complete reform of the Democratic Party, urging new leadership and a fresh political direction across the United States.
Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat congressman now serving his seventh term in the United States Congress, is currently the highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, according to his official website.
In an interview with the news outlet Zeteo on Monday, Chakrabarti said he believes Jeffries has “failed as leader for the Democratic Party” and made it clear he would not support Jeffries if elected to Congress.
Chakrabarti went further, stating that 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.
Sharing a clip of the interview on X, Chakrabarti reaffirmed his remarks and called for sweeping reforms within the party. “It’s not just me. Nearly 80 people running for Congress declined to support Jeffries for leader. 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,” he wrote.
It’s not just me. Nearly 80 people running for Congress declined to support Jeffries for leader.
— Saikat Chakrabarti for Congress (@saikatc) October 27, 2025
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. https://t.co/wkolhTRXiU
A Harvard University graduate in computer science, Chakrabarti began his career in technology before turning to progressive politics. He moved to San Francisco in 2009, saying he had “always been in love with the idea of the city.”
Over the past decade, he has worked on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, founded Justice Democrats in 2017, and played a key role in Ocasio-Cortez’s successful 2018 congressional run. He launched his campaign against Pelosi in February, arguing that the 85-year-old leader, who first joined Congress in 1987, “no longer has the strength for the current fight.”
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