GN Azad Starts New Political Innings: A week after four decades of association, Ghulam Nabi Azad began a new political journey today. Addressing a rally in Jammu, he said people will decide the name and flag of his new party.
Addressing his supporters at Sainik Ground in Jammu, Azad said that he stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The 73-year-old former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir had said last week that he would soon start a new party. He said the first unit would be in Jammu and Kashmir where elections are to be held.
Visuals of the rally saw a huge crowd welcoming the former chief minister as he approached the venue. Mr. Azad leaned out of his car to wave to the supporters. Before taking the stage at the rally venue, he met his supporters and colleagues on the stage.
“I have not decided the name for my party yet. People of Jammu and Kashmir will decide the name and flag for the party. I will give a Hindustani name to my party which can be understood by everyone,” he told the meeting.
The party led by Mr Azad will have the option of forging an alliance with the BJP or mainstream parties such as the National Conference or the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir. Azad, however, said in an interview to INDINEWS that there is “no question” of an alliance with the BJP. “Neither will they benefit nor will I,” he said.
The 73-year-old leader quit the Congress days after he was rejected a position in the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, saying his recommendations for appointments had been ignored. His exit led to a massive exodus of Congress leaders from the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit.
Following his resignation, the veteran leader hit out at the Congress high command, accusing Rahul Gandhi of “childish behavior” and immaturity and allowing a “circle of inexperienced sycophants” to run the party.
Mr Azad’s resignation comes ahead of the 2024 general election and comes after several high-profile exits from the party, including former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, the party’s former Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar and former union ministers Kapil Sibal and Ashwini Kumar. Huh.
The veteran leader was among 23 senior Congress leaders, now called G-23, who wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, calling for massive organizational reforms.
Mr. Azad was a trusted confidant of Mrs. Gandhi from the time Sitaram Kesari was unofficially ousted as party chief in 2000. He was the closest person to the party in case of any crisis. But that all changed after he joined the G-23 under pressure to change the party.
After his resignation, Mr. Azad met three leaders of the G23 group – Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan and Bhupinder Hooda. The trio asked him why he resigned even after Mrs Gandhi announced an internal election for the new Congress President. Mr Azad claimed that according to Mr Chavan, his position had become untenable due to a “palace conspiracy” against him by a section of Congress.
