Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress highlights: 5 more J&K party leaders resign, backing Azad

Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday quit from all posts of the party, including the post of primary leadership. In a five-page note to party interim president Sonia Gandhi, former J&K CM recounted his journey with the party and listed a number of reasons for his decision.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday resigned from all posts of the party on Friday. In a five-page note to party interim president Sonia Gandhi, former J&K CM said that he was resigning from all party positions including primary membership of the party. Recounting his long association with the Indian National Congress, he listed a number of reasons for his decision including Rahul Gandhi's sudden move to quit as party president after 2019 elections. Calling the organisational election process "farce and a sham," his resignation letter read that the situation in the Congress party has reached a point of ‘no return.'

Meanwhile, Congress has responded to the veteran leader's resignation letter. The party said that it is "unfortunate to read the letter when every leader ready to walk with Rahul Gandhi."

Follow all the updates here:

• Aug 26, 2022 05:22 PM IST

  Salman Khurshid backs Rahul Gandhi amid rising row in Congress over Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation

  Hours after Congress veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from all party posts on Friday, party leader Salman Khurshid extended his support for Rahul Gandhi. Khurshid said that it was "not mature" that the people associated with the party for a long time have left it over small issues.

• Aug 26, 2022 05:16 PM IST

  Running away when Cong in difficulty: Kharge on GN Azad's resignation

  When Congress is in difficulty; minorities,Dalits, press, people who speak of democracy being attacked, we've to fight BJP-RSS together. If you run away from battle, you're betraying party&running away in fear of atmosphere created by Modi Ji: LoP in RS M Kharge.

• Aug 26, 2022 04:25 PM IST

  ‘We will stay with him in whatever he decides’: RS Chib, who resigned hours after GN Azad put in his papers

  Congress lost decisive leadership both at the central & state level. This loss caused party's graph to decline. GN Azad is a leader himself, his decision is his own. But we will stay with him in whatever he decides: RS Chib

• Aug 26, 2022 04:07 PM IST

  Rahul Gandhi is a blessing for BJP: Himanta Biswa on Ghulam Nabi Azad quitting Congress

  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dig at Rahul Gandhi after Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad quit Congress and said that he (Rahul Gandhi) is actually a blessing for the BJP.

• Aug 26, 2022 03:54 PM IST

  ‘Congress perpetuated this situation’: BJP's Sunil Jakhar 

  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunil Jakhar, who quit the Congress in May this year, said: “It's the beginning of the end, what Mr Azad's resignation signifies is that Congress had it coming. They perpetuated this situation. It was written on the wall which they chose to ignore-whether it was Jyotiraditya Scindia, RPN Singh, Jitin Prasada & now Azad sa'ab”.

• Aug 26, 2022 03:39 PM IST

  After Ghulam Nabi Azad's Congress exit, 5 J&K party leaders resign, backing him

  

  Five Congress leaders in Jammu & Kashmir who were also former legislators resigned from the party hours after Ghulam Nabi Azad put in his papers. (Sanchit Khanna)

  In another jolt to Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, senior leader and former Cabinet minister RS Chib resigned from the basic membership of the party.

• Aug 26, 2022 03:23 PM IST

  Ghulam Nabi Azad hints at forming new party in exit letter

  Veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad - whose exit from the Congress has plunged the party into a fresh crisis - has signaled about his next political move in his five-page resignation letter. Read more

• Aug 26, 2022 03:02 PM IST

  Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation letter. Read full text

  Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who served the grand old party for 52 years, on Friday resigned from all positions, including its primary membership, sending a five-page letter to the interim president Sonia Gandhi. In the letter, he alleged that the party has lost both the will and the ability under tutelage of the coterie that runs the AICC to fight for what is right for India.

  Read the full letter here.

• Aug 26, 2022 02:47 PM IST

  A lowdown of Ghulam Nabi Azad's five-decade-long journey with Congress

  Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday resigned from all posts of the party, including from the primary leadership post. This comes days after he resigned from the organizational post of Jammu and Kashmir, citing health issues. In a five-page note to party interim president. Read more

• Aug 26, 2022 02:45 PM IST

  Ghulam Nabi Azad says 'national space conceded to BJP', opens up on G-23

  Ghulam Nabi Azad’s exit from the Congress on Friday is being viewed as a huge setback to the party at a time when it is set to launch a mass-contact program ahead of the 2024 national elections in a bid to revive its fortunes. 

  Read full report here.

• Aug 26, 2022 02:33 PM IST

  GNA's DNA has been 'Modi-fied': Cong's Jairam Ramesh on Ghulam Nabi Azad.

  A man who has been treated by the greatest respect by the Congress leadership has betrayed it by his vicious personal attacks which reveals his true character. GNA's DNA has been modi-fied: Congress' Jairam Ramesh

• Aug 26, 2022 02:26 PM IST

  'Shocked': Anand Sharma on Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation

  Congress veteran Anand Sharma, who recently quit as the chairman of the steering committee for Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, said: "It's a serious development & will pain all Congressmen. I'm personally shocked. This situation was entirely avoidable. We were hopeful that there would be serious introspection but unfortunately, that process was subverted".

• Aug 26, 2022 02:19 PM IST

  'Congress will be much weaker without GN Azad': Sandeep Dikshit

  

  Sandeep Dikshit also a dissident writes to Ghulam Nabi Azad saying should have remained and fought instead of resigning.

  INC will be much weaker without GN Azad, but the Azad who authored G23 letter, not the one who authored this resignation," reads a letter sent out by Cong leader Sandeep Dikshit

• Aug 26, 2022 01:52 PM IST

  Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress: 'Sad day for party'- ex-leader Ashwini Kumar

  His resignation is unfortunate. It's a sad day for the Congress party & for the democracy of country. Despite it, the party refuses to change & that is why you see senior leaders leave because they feel alienated, humiliated & insulted: Former Congress leader Ashwini Kumar on Azad's exit.

• Aug 26, 2022 01:32 PM IST

  ‘Leaders across age groups frustated with 'Darbari' culture in Congress,' says ex leader Jaiveer Shergill 

  Speaking on Azad's exit from Congress, former leader Jaiveer Shergill who quit party earlier this week, said that ‘leaders across age groups are frustrated and disappointed with the present culture thriving in Congress.'

  "In reality, this cabal is working within Congress on 'Congress Todo Abhiyan', elbowing out all the well-meaning leaders. This letter speaks loudly of sentiments of thousands of well-meaning Congress workers who are troubled by this 'Darbari' culture,' he added while speaking to news agency ANI.

• Aug 26, 2022 01:21 PM IST

  'Ghulam Nabi Azad is welcome in BJP,' says ex-Cong leader Kuldeep Bishnoi

  It won't be wrong to say that Congress is in self-destruction, suicidal mode. I suggest Rahul Gandhi sets aside his ego....Ghulam Nabi Azad is welcome in BJP. If the party asks me, then I can persuade him to join the party: Kuldeep Bishnoi, BJP leader spoke on Azad's exit from Congress party.

• Aug 26, 2022 01:09 PM IST

  Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah reacts on Ghulam Nabi Azad's exit from Congress

  Must not be getting respect, love showered upon him earlier. Congress was taken aback when 32 leaders wrote letter. But it's happened before, Congress came back stronger. Country needs strong opposition: National Conference chief, Farooq Abdullah on Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation

• Aug 26, 2022 12:42 PM IST

  Congress reacts on Ghulam Nabi Azad quitting: 'Unfortunate when every leader ready to walk with Rahul Gandhi'

  Congress on Ghulam Nabi Azad quitting: 'Unfortunate when every leader ready to walk with Rahul Gandhi'.

• Aug 26, 2022 12:37 PM IST

  ‘The organisational election process is a farce and a sham,’ Azad in his resignation letter

  "The entire organisational election process is a farce and a sham. At no place anywhere in the country have elections been held at any level of the organisation. Handpicked lieutenants of the AICC has been coerced to sign on lists prepared by the coterie that runs the AICC sitting in 24 Akbar Road," Azad wrote in his resignation letter to interim party president Sonia Gandhi.

• Aug 26, 2022 12:25 PM IST

  Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad quits party after 52 years of association

  Senior Congress party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from all his positions in the Indian National Congress party on Friday. In a five page note to interim party president Sonia Gandhi, he listed out detailed reasons for leaving the party. The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir also attacked Rahul Gandhi in his letter for insulting senior leaders after he stepped down as the party president post 2019 elections on his own.