Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 29: Four more senior Congress leaders, including former Deputy Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Gulam Hyder Malik from Bani area of Kathua, former MLC from Doda district, Sham Lal Bhagat, former PCC general secretary Maheshwar Singh Manhas from Jammu North and a dozen prominent workers of the Apni Party including District president from Doda resigned from their respective parties today in support of veteran politician and former top AICC leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Former J&K Chief Minister-Azad, ended his five-decade association with the Congress on Friday, saying the party was “comprehensively destroyed” and lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing” its entire consultative mechanism in Congress party.
Malik, a former MLA from Bani constituency of Kathua and former MLC from Assar area of Doda Sham Lal Bhagat separately forwarded their resignation letters to the party high-command today. Former MLC from Hiranagar area and former District Congress Committee Kathua president, Subhash Gupta has also tendered his resignation from the primary membership of Congress Party to join Azad group.
“We have received letters of support from former Legislators Ghulam Hyder Malik, Sham Lal Bhagat and Subhash Gupta, ” Azad’s close associate and former Minister Ghulam Mohd Saroori said.
He further added that former PCC general secretary and senior Congress leader Maheshwar Singh Manhas also resigned from the party in support of Azad.
“I have been a part of Congress Party since 1983 in J&K and worked on various roles in Youth Congress including vice president of PYC, secretary and general secretary JKPCC and party Executive Member. I had worked tirelessly for the organization for the last 39 years but due to the present political scenario prevailing in the Congress party, it won’t be conducive for me to be a member of the party and in support of former J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, I here by resign from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect,” Manhas said in his resignation letter to AICC president. Sonia Gandhi.
Saroori said that some more party functionaries including JKPCC Executive Member Shahrukh Bhatti also resigned today from Congress in support of Azad and many more including some very senior Congress leaders may resign tomorrow.
Meanwhile, at least 12 Apni Party functionaries in Doda area including its district president, Asgar Hussain Khanday, district general secretary Virender Kumar Sharma and district vice-president (women’s wing) Promila Sharma, resigned from the primary membership of the party and extended their support to Azad, who hails from Bhalessa area of Bhaderwah in Doda district.
The others include Block president of Apni Party from Thathri- Mushtaq Ahmed Hajam, Block senior vice president- Javed Iqbal Butt, Block vice president Ghulam Haider, Block secretary – Javed Ahmed and Block general secretary Ghulam Hussain Zargar besides PRI members -Ashiq Hussain (secretary), Nissar Ahmed Zargar, Abdul Kabir and Mohd Ashraf-all from Thathri block of Doda district.
Former J&K Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, former ministers Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma and Ch Gharu Ram and former MLA from Marh Balwan Singh arrived here today after meeting Azad in Delhi and are likely to announce their loyalty to him on Tuesday after resigning from the Congress. They will join Azad group along with their large number of supporters from their respective constituencies, a party source said.
Dozens prominent Congress leaders, including former Ministers and legislators, besides hundreds of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, Municipal Corporators and district and block-level leaders have resigned from the party to join Azad, who will launch a national-level political party from Jammu and Kashmir shortly, the party sources added.
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