Ahead of Bharat Jodo entering J&K, 17 Ghulam Nabi Azad loyalists rejoin Congress
Saying Democratic Azad Party is threatening to divide the secular votes and benefit BJP at a time when secularism needs to be strengthened in J&K, 17 key Congress members who had quit along with Ghulam Nabi Azad returned to the party fold on Friday. They termed their decision to leave Congress as a blunder based on the “friendship of a person” and apologised on their return, a move that marks a setback for Azad who formed the new party DAP with the idea of building the organisation in short time on the back of the known faces in state politics.
The 17 leaders, led by ex-deputy CM Tara Chand and former state Congress chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, joined the party in the presence of AICC state incharge Rajani Patil at a press conference attended by party leaders KC Vengopal and Jairam Ramesh.
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The return came weeks ahead of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra’s entry in J&K, which is slated to culminate in Srinagar. As key state parties NC of Farooq Abdullah and PDP of Mehbooba Mufti have announced that they will join the yatra, the return of defectors marks a leg up for Congress which appeared to have been badly hit organisationally since the departure of Azad.
Asked if Azad has been invited for the Yatra, Venugopal evaded a direct reply by saying leaders who believe in Congress ideology are welcome to join the Yatra.
Chand said, “We were not comfortable in DAP as we have spent 50 years in Congress and realised our mistake“.
