Srinagar: Whatever be the final impact of return of Ghulam Nabi Azad on J&K’s political scene, though with a different role this time, right now the fear of desertion of leaders is looming large for the political parties here.
There is some panic among the top leadership of several non- BJP parties here following reports that a number of leaders and prominent workers from their parties are in touch with him and those close to him for joining his yet to be launched party.
Today senior Congress leader and former minister, Taj Mohiu Din, resigned from Congress to join Azad’s party. A number of Congress leaders have already resigned to be with Azad. This process is going on.
There are also reports that leaders and prominent workers of other parties are also joining Azad in near future.
Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, a close confidant of Azad, said that 2500 leaders and workers including former ministers and legislators have already joined their yet to be formed party.
“Leaders and workers from other parties are also in touch with us and they too will join us,” he said.
Saroori stated that their party will provide an alternative party to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and would contest on all the 90 assembly seats. He told media that his party will be open for alliance with like minded secular parties.
Saroori rejected the allegation of some of the leaders from rival parties that their party has the blessing of BJP leadership and described those as false and incorrect.
Saroori said those leveling such allegations must realise first that whose creation are they and where do they stand politically. “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones,”he said.
On the other hand, Congress today tried to project a united face and strength by holding a meeting of senior leaders here and passing a resolution, which extended full support to their leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and resolved to be faithful to their party and it’s secular ideology.
Apni Party (AP) president Syed Muhammad Altaf launched a scathing attack on Azad accusing him of forming his party with the blessings of BJP leadership.
Addressing a public meeting at Bijbehara, Bukhari said that Azad as leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha could have stopped the passage of bill regarding article 370 , which he did not and is being compensated for that now.
He alleged that the role of former Congress leader was not in the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and he backstabbed them. “ Shedding crocodiles tears will not be of any use for him now, since he stands completely exposed,” Bukhari said.
Bukhari said he will not be surprised to see National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, supporting Azad for his own vested interests at some point of time. “Having to appear in courts frequently, Farooq sahab wants anybody including Azad sahab to rescue him from such a situation,” he said.
The Congress meeting among others was attended here by Prof Saifu Din Soz, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Vikar Rasool Wani, Raman Bhalla, G A Mir, Ghulam Nabi Monga, and Yogesh Sawhney.
They criticised Azad for betraying Congress and its secular ideology to switch over to the other side. G A Mir said Azad will meet the same fate as did Captain Amrinder Singh in Punjab after leaving Congress.