Azad likely to return to Congress ahead of Assembly elections

Srinagar, Aug 18: In a significant development, former J&K Chief Minister and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief, Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to return to his old party, Congress, ahead of the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, reports said on Sunday.

A close confidante of Ghulam Nabi Azad told news agency KNO that the Gandhis have approached Azad in a bid to persuade him to rejoin the grand old party.

He said that the deliberations are on as senior Gandhis have approached Azad to weed out past differences that popped up, particularly after the latter disassociated himself from the party and resigned from all positions in 2022.

“Deliberations are still on between the top leadership of the Congress and Ghulam Nabi Azad. He will think and decide to rejoin the grand old party,” said Azad's close associate.

Azad left the Congress in August 2022 and soon after came up with his own political outfit - Democratic Progressive Azad Party - along with other Congress leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, who also quit the grand old party in his support.

On Saturday, former legislator and senior leader Taj Mohi-Ud-Din, who was also one of the founding members of the Azad-led DPAP, announced that he will return to the Congress along with several other senior leaders.

Meanwhile, Azad’s close associate told KNO that he (Azad) was hurt by the humiliation due to statements made by some Congress leaders soon after he quit the party.

“Now the top leadership of the party is in touch with him and working out the modalities to facilitate his return to party and weed out the differences. He will take a final call in coming days,” he said.

“The party has started taking steps that Azad had suggested two years back perhaps in a bid to persuade him to join back,” he added.

The development comes at a time when the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, starting September 18.