NC expels Ghulam Rasool Naz

Bandipora, Nov 8: The National Conference on Wednesday expelled Mir Ghulam Rasool Naz, a two-time MLA and the district party president of Bandipora, from the party.

The announcement was made by NC Vice President Omar Abdullah while addressing here a convention, which Naz skipped. Naz claimed that he was not informed, Omar, who seemed infuriated over his non-participation accused the senior leader of causing a division within the party in Bandipora.

“There is no place for individuals who sow seeds of division and weaken the party. Our primary concern is not external threats but the challenges posed by individuals within the party,” he said.

Without naming Naz, the NC Vice President said alleged that the former has been promoting "family politics".

Naz's faction within the district were portraying his daughter-in-law, Dr Bilquis as NC's candidate for assembly polls which did not go well with the other faction in Bandipora, led by Advocate Nazir Malik.

Omar Abdullah also announced that Advocate Nazir Malik, the constituency in charge in Bandipora, would likely be promoted as the new face of the party for the upcoming elections.

Reports say that the split in the party happened when Malik was appointed as the constituency in charge several years ago and that there had been a split in the party for many years now.

While talking to the media persons, Omar Abdullah reiterated that those who did not attend the convention would be removed from party posts. He, however, added that the formal orders for party candidature for MLA will issued in due course of time stating that Malik will be preferred as a most likely face.

Naz who has 60 years of affiliation with NC claimed that he had no knowledge of the convention as he was neither informed nor did he receive a letter from the party in charge in the district.