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Former J&K deputy CM, 64 others quit Congress in Azad’s support
Azad questioned the Congress’s functioning and held Rahul Gandhi responsible for demolishing consultative mechanisms and installing a coterie to take decisions as he quit the Congress on Friday
Former Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) deputy chief minister Tara Chand and 64 other leaders quit the Congress citing a leadership crisis on Tuesday and in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is expected to announce the launch of a new political party as early as this weekend.
Azad questioned the Congress’s functioning and held Rahul Gandhi responsible for demolishing consultative mechanisms and installing a coterie to take decisions as he quit the Congress on Friday. Six former J&K legislators and ministers followed suit hours later.
Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma, Gharu Ram, and Balwan Singh are among other leaders and Azad supporters, who resigned on Tuesday. “We have submitted a joint resignation letter to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi in support of Azad,” Singh said. He echoed Azad and said a coterie surrounding the party’s leadership was calling the shots in a most irresponsible manner and had ruined Congress.
“We have had a long association for decades with the Congress but ironically the treatment meted out to us was humiliating. And without our mentor and leader Azad...we believe that we should also come out of the Congress and join him for the bright future of J&K.”
Chand said Congress was supposed to play an effective role in Opposition in J&K and at the national level. “Our leadership was not working properly and was not leading the party cadre. Therefore, we decided to part ways and requested Azad to lead us from the front. We assured him our full support.”
He added J&K’s people desperately needed a leader like Azad. “He accepted our request and eventually quit Congress because for the past two years we were trying to bring improvement in the party but were not being heard. Either party high command did not listen to us or the coterie surrounding the leadership did not convey our concerns. Consequently, differences kept increasing.”
Chand said even BJP leaders are likely to join Azad. “Many senior leaders from the ruling party [BJP] are also not happy with certain decisions like abrogation of [Constitution]’s Article 370 and downgrading the state [J&K] into a Union Territory.” He added they have also expressed their willingness to join Azad. “We also want statehood back and then there are other issues of development, unemployment, and daily wagers’ issue, which can be addressed by Azad alone.”
In a Facebook post, Azad said he was happy to see people and political leadership across J&K coming to them with heartfelt wishes and a very strong desire to make a new beginning. “I will not let them down. Together – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, and others – we will usher in a new era of development and peace in J&K. We have suffered enough. It is time to pull our socks up and hold hands in this march to rebuild what we have lost.”
Azad will hold a public meeting on September 4 in Jammu. He will then leave for his native Chenab Valley for a four-day visit before holding a rally in Srinagar on September 12.
“Azad shall arrive in Jammu on September 4... he will be accorded a rousing reception,” said GM Saroori, an aide to Azad. He added Azad may announce the formation of the new party on September 4 and that they have decided to contest all 90 assembly seats in J&K.
Saroori on Monday said Azad will be their chief ministerial candidate for J&K elections and that he was is going to form a secular national party.
