Will Azad's mustard, white and blue DAP help saffron in J&K? Here is what experts say

Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who launched his Democratic Azad Party in J&K on Monday, aims to "divide secular votes" in Jammu region of the erstwhile state and hurt the already struggling Congress, his fellow politician says as experts weigh in on this new turn of events in the regional politics, reports ETV Bharat's Mir Farhat.

Jammu:Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Monday launched his own party, a month after his resignation from Congress ending his 50 year stint with the grand old party. "I am launching Democratic Azad Party (DAP) from here today. It symbolises democracy and freedom of speech and thought. Our ideology will be based on the ideals of Mahatama Gandhi," Azad said during a press conference in Jammu.

The flag of the newly-floated party has three colours, mustard, white and dark blue. "The mustard colour indicates creativity and unity in diversity, white indicates peace and blue indicates freedom, open space, imagination and limits from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky,” Azad said claiming his party will have "no competition" with any other political party and will focus on "strengthening" peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party spokespersons said that they have nothing to say about the new party launched by Azad. However, former Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that Azad's "sole aim" to launch the party is to divide the "secular" vote in Hindu populated districts of Jammu for “BJP's advantage”.

“Azad’s party won't impact votes in Muslim populated areas of Jammu province like Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch. But he will divide votes in Hindu populated districts of Jammu like Samba, Kathua and Jammu where BJP has been facing backlash from people for last few years,” Mir told ETV Bharat. After Azad’s resigned on August 26, as many as 12 legislators of Congress followed suit along with hundreds of their workers, and followed Azad.

The other political parties particularly Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari and Peoples Conference are wary that Azad’s new party may take members out of their camps. So far, none of the leaders has switched over to Azad. Peoples Conference spokesperson Adnan Ashraf said that all those people who are part of PC are dedicated, workers and leaders and will never leave the party.

A close aide of Azad told ETV Bharat that many leaders from other parties are in touch with them and they were waiting for the announcement of the party. A leader in Apni Party said that none of their leaders will cross lines toward Azad. Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari was the first politician to launch a scathing attack on Azad and even claimed that Azad “voted in favour of abrogation of Article 370”.

Following his resignation from Congress, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah seemed cosying up to Azad as the former didn’t call Azad the “B-Team” of BJP. National Conference had in past termed even PDP “formed by agencies” and Apni Party the “kings party and B Team of BJP”. Azad, the former chief minister of J&K from 2005-2008, has been clear on the abrogation of Article 370 in his first rally in the Baramulla district of Kashmir and in subsequent media interactions wherein he said he will not mislead people on the restoration of Article 370.

“Some people have been saying that I don't talk about Article 370. I want to tell them that Azad does not befool people for electoral gains. I swear before God that I will not mislead you. I will not raise such slogans or issues over which I have no control,” Azad had said. He said that he will demand the restoration of statehood, land and job rights for Jammu and Kashmir residents.

Many in Kashmir believe that Azad was asked to form his own party by the BJP leadership and create a new political discourse in Kashmir which pivots around statehood and development -- a narrative peddled by the BJP since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and against the agenda of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Alliance (PAGD).

“Right from his speech in Rajya Sabha on August 5 on abrogation of Article 370 to his statements in recent weeks after resigning from Congress, Azad is pushing the narrative that Article 370 is now done and dusted. This is a clear stand of his against that of PAGD,” a political analyst said but didn't want to be named.

Altaf Janjua, a senior journalist based in Jammu, said Azad’s party has already weakened the electoral space of Congress in favour of the BJP in Jammu province. “With secular leaders like Devender Rana, Sham Lal Sharma having already joined BJP, Azad could have stood against BJP in Jammu region being in Congress.

But floating a new party and taking Congress's senior leaders from Jammu with him has clearly tilted the situation against Congress and in favour of BJP in the assembly elections. In Muslim majority districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kishtwar, Azad’s party may create some ripples too,” he said.

Analysts in Kashmir said that Azad won’t make "any big impact" in Kashmir given the “strong presence” of National Conference and PDP in the Valley.