Altaf Bukhari elected president ‘JK Apni Party’

Former Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari was Saturday elected as President of ‘JK Apni Party’ which will be formally launched here on Sunday.

Bukhari’s name was proposed by former minister Ghulam HassanMir in a meeting attended by 20-30 former ministers and legislators. Themeeting was held at Bukhari’s residence here.

   

The former legislators and ministers congratulated Bukharion being elected as the President of the party.

They hailed Bukhari for taking the initiative to launch theparty for “raising issues concerning common people”.

The senior leaders described Bukhari’s decision as “brave”which they said “will prove to be fruitful” for people of Jammu and Kashmir indays to come. They said the launch of the party comes at a crucial time when thereis need to raise important issues.

The emergence of a new political party is seen as a firstmajor political push in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 on August5.

Many political leaders expected to join new party

Many prominent faces and political leaders are expected tojoin the new party. Some senior leaders of NC, PDP and Congress have alreadyresigned from their respective parties.

Senior Congress leader and district president SrinagarIrfanNaqeeb Saturday resigned from the party and said he is keen to servepeople at local level and join AltafBukhari led political outfit.

Naqeeb in a letter issued to Jammu and Kashmir PradeshCongress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “I hereby tender myresignation from INC as a member and as a District President Srinagar. I thankyou for giving me an opportunity to work for INC”.

Naqeeb told news agency KNS that central level leadership ofCongress didn’t allow J&K Congress to work for the betterment ofpeople.  He said, “Even state presidentMir Sahib did every effort to serve local people but it didn’t suit party’scentral leadership”.

Asked if he will join former PDP leader Syed AltafBukhariled new political outfit, Naqeeb said, “yes I will”.

 “I will join Bukhariled new political outfit. There are like-minded people having sound politicalbackground to serve people at regional level”, he said.

Meanwhile two more Congress leaders from Jammu divisionSaturday quit party’s J&K unit. Former Minister and District PresidentSamba SardarManjit Singh and Jammu District President Vikram Malhotra toldmedia that they quit the INC because the party had become virtually”dysfunctional” and “irrelevant” in the region.

Sources said these leaders as also former Minister andsenior Congress leader Ajaz Ahmed Khan and prominent Sikh leader and chairmanof Sikh Coordination Committee Jagmohan Singh Raina are among others who areexpected to join the Apni Party.

Senior National Conference (NC) leader, Vijay Bakaya,Saturday resigned from the party. A source said Bakaya’s resignation wasaccepted by National Conference, Provincial President Jammu, Devinder SinghRana, on behalf of the party President, Farooq Abdullah, who is presently underdetention.

Former minister and PDP leader, Muhammad Ashraf Mir has resignedfrom the party.  In a letter addressed toparty leadership, Mir has stated that he has resigned from the basic membershipof the party. “It has been a long journey but considering my personalcircumstances I am unable to continue being a member. Therefore, I submit myresignation,” Mir writes in his resignation letter.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders in a joint statement said”few leaders” are finding shortcuts and changing their loyalty insearch of “better opportunities” for their career in politics.

Former MLA and National Conference leader DrGaganBhagatmeanwhile today termed as baseless the reports of his joining ‘Apni Party’,saying he cannot even think of leaving National Conference.

 (With Inputs from PTI, KNS)

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