Azad may float a new party, say friends

After leaving Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad is gearing up to float a new party say his close friends. Six of his supporters have also quit from Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee.

Jammu: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and senior politician Ghulam Nabi Azad is going to float a new political party after saying goodbye to the Congress. A close friend of Azad told ETV Bharat that "Azad will not join BJP or any other party but will lay the foundation of his new party."

"Talks are on with politicians from Congress and other parties and soon you will see more resignations," he added. Pertinently, after Azad, Amin Bhat and RS Chib also resigned from the basic membership of the Congress. On Friday, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from all the posts of the Congress.

Loyalists quit

Hours after his resignation from all posts of the party, his loyalists too said goodbye to the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress. In a joint resignation letter, GM Saroori, Choudhary Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad and Haji Abdur Rashid Dar have resigned from the party in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad. Meanwhile, former minister and MLC R S Chib too have resigned from membership of Congress.

In a resignation letter sent to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Chib has written that Congress has lost momentum in contributing towards the future of Jammu and Kashmir. "I feel that the best course of action for me would be to party ways with your party, "reads the letter. Chib, who was Minister in NC-Congress, doesn't enjoy much public support in Jammu. Many other Azad loyalists are yet tightlipped and will be waiting for the Azad next move.

JKPCC huddle

Soon after Ghulam Nabi Azad tendered his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a high level meeting was held at congress headquarter jammu Shahidi chowk jammu under chairmanship of vice president Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Raman Balla.

Emerging from the meeting, Raman Balla told the media that it was very unfortunate that senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned. The resignation comes at a time when there is a need for congress for the people of Jammu and Kashmir as the state was divided by union government, he said.

'Azad has left Congress in difficult times'

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said that it is regrettable that Azad resigned from Congress at a time when the party was facing turmoil in India. I regret that now the Congress is in a difficult period and in a whirlwind, so it was wrong for Azad to leave the party.

Azad gave his whole life to the Congress and was close to the Indira Gandhi family. I wish him well, though, the former Chief Minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir state said. Farooq said that he hopes that Azad will work to strengthen the country's secular and federal system and fight against this atmosphere of hatred.