New Delhi, August 7th : – In a significant development, more than 20 leaders hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, predominantly affiliated with Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), reunited with the Congress party in a gathering graced by the presence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday.
Simultaneously, the Opposition party launched a scathing critique against Azad, highlighting a notable shift in his stance on Article 370’s abrogation. The party remarked, “Mr. GNA himself provides fresh evidence of a change in his fundamental beliefs by asserting that ‘those opposing the abrogation of Article 370 are unaware of the ground reality’.”
“This assertion comes from a man who spearheaded the opposition against the abrogation in the Rajya Sabha on August 5, 2019! It appears that he is attempting to justify the considerable extension provided to him, allowing him to remain in his expansive New Delhi residence, long after his parliamentary tenure,” commented Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary.
Highlighting the event, Ramesh stated, “Earlier today, 21 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir associated with the DPAP, humorously referred to as the ‘Disappearing Azad Party,’ have rejoined the Congress, including an individual who previously filed a defamation case against me on behalf of Ghulam Nabi Azad.”
Apart from Congress President Kharge, the event witnessed the presence of key figures including K C Venugopal, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Organization, Rajani Patil, AICC in-charge of the state, and Vikar Rasool Wani, Chief of Jammu and Kashmir Congress.
Among the prominent leaders reuniting with the Congress, Yashpal Kundal, a former Minister and two-time legislator from Panthers Party, who previously headed the SC/ST and OBC Department of AAP in J-K, stood out.
Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, formerly Vice President of JKPCC and subsequently associated with Azad’s party, also returned to the Congress fold.
The list of leaders rejoining the Congress includes Naresh K Gupta (DPAP), Sham Lal Bhagat (DPAP), Namrata Sharma (Apni Party), Saima Jan (DPAP), Shahjehan Dar (DPAP), Farooq Ahmad (AAP), Taranjit Singh Toni, Gazanfar Ali, Santosh Majotra (DPAP), Rajni Sharma (DPAP), Nirmal Singh Mehta (DPAP), Madan Lal Chalotra (APNI Party), Hamit Singh Batti (AAP), Ramesh Pandotra (AAP), Vaid Raj Sharma (AAP), Mandeep Chowdhary (AAP), Nazir Ahmed Auqab, Maheshvar Vishwakarma, and Jung Bahadur Sharma (DPAP).
In a series of return journeys, several leaders who had previously defected from the Congress to join Azad’s party post his departure from the grand old party have now once again aligned themselves with the Congress, marking a significant political realignment.
