New Delhi, January 6
Seventeen estranged loyalists of Ghulam Nabi Azad today rejoined the Congress. Welcoming the leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said they were on “leave for two months” and had now returned.
Banihal Cong leader joins Azad
- A Congress leader from Banihal in Ramban, along with his workers, joined the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Democratic Azad Party (DAP)
- Azad announced the joining of Asif Khanday and his supporters on Twitter. Khanday joined the DAP in Srinagar. “Your inclusion will infuse new blood and galvanise our cardre,” Azad tweeted
Among the returnees were ex-Deputy CM Tara Chand, former PCC chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Mohinder Bhardwaj, Thakur Balwan, Mohd Muzaffar Parry, Bhushan Dogra, Narendra Sharma, Naresh Sharma, Ambrish Mehrotra, Santosh Manhas and Anuradha Sharma. Addressing the media, Venugopal said: “The Bharat Jodo Yatra has become a big movement and that is why these leaders have decided to return to the Congress fold. When the Yatra reaches J&K, all those who want to a united India will join the Congress.” Asked whether the Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief had been invited for the Yatra, he replied: “Those who believe in the Congress ideology are welcome to join the Yatra. We have invited all like-minded parties.” He also said Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti would join the Yatra in Srinagar.
Party leader Jairam Ramesh said 19 leaders were to join today but 17 were able to make it to Delhi. “This is the first phase. Others will join the Congress soon.” Speaking for the returnees, Tara Chand said they had quit the party in haste. “We have realised our mistake now.” Peerzada said there was a need to unite all secular forces to “strengthen” democracy. In Srinagar, Azad told the media that the departure of his colleagues (Chand, Sayeed and Thakur Balwan) was not a setback for his party as “all three have no constituency”.