Dr Manohar distances himself from estranged Azad loyalists
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 5: Estranged Azad loyalists, including former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Ex Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Ex MLA Balwan Singh and President of Bar Association Jammu, M K Bhardwaj are all set to rejoin Congress Party at New Delhi tomorrow.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that Tara Chand along with Balwan Singh and M K Bhardwaj have already reached New Delhi while Peerzada Mohd Sayeed is likely to join them tomorrow morning for their formal return to Congress Party at AICC headquarters around 1 pm.
However, sources said, former Minister Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, who along with Tara Chand and Balwan Singh was recently expelled from Democratic Azad Party (DAP) for alleged anti-party activities, has distanced himself from the estranged group and not joining the Congress.
Formal joining of the Congress Party by these erstwhile Azad loyalists is likely to take place in presence of the top Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal, AICC General Secretary (Organization) and Incharge J&K Affairs, Rajni Patil, sources informed.
J&K Pradesh Congress Committee President Vikar Rasool Wani along with Working President Raman Bhalla, are also likely to be present during the joining programme as the duo left for New Delhi this evening on special invitation of the party high command, sources added.
It may be recalled that Tara Chand along with others had followed Ghulam Nabi Azad in quitting Congress party because of their well established political loyalty and association with the latter and they were very much instrumental in forming the new political outfit Democratic Azad Party in September last. However, on December 22, Azad expelled Tara Chand along with Dr Manohar Lal Sharma and Balwan Singh from DAP with immediate effect for ‘anti-party’ activities of the trio, who were allegedly hobnobbing with the Congress.
After their expulsion from DAP, Tara Chand and others had dropped enough hints that they would rejoin Congress soon as Ghulam Nabi Azad -led party was only dividing secular votes in Jammu and Kashmir.
Even as the Bar Association President M K Bhardwaj was not among those expelled from DAP, sources said that he joined Tara Chand and others as Azad was not assuring his candidature from Vijaypur Assembly constituency.
Similarly, sources added, former Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed was also annoyed with Azad in wake of no clarity by the party on his new constituency as his Kokernag Assembly constituency has been reserved like M K Bhardwaj’s Bishnah constituency.
Therefore, along with Tara Chand and Balwan Singh, Peerzada Sayeed, M K Bhardwaj and a few others are also joining back Congress Party tomorrow at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, sources explained.
However, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma is the exception notwithstanding the fact that he was among those three expelled by Azad from DAP for alleged anti-party activities. When contacted, Dr Manohar Lal said that he was neither joining back Congress nor DAP.
According to the sources, K C Venugopal telephonically talked to Tara Chand and others assuring them suitable adjustment in the Congress on return to the party fold. Further, sources added, PCC President Vikar Rasool and Working President Raman Bhalla were specially asked to attend the joining programme for ruling out any resentment by J&K unit of the party amid reports that a section of Congress leaders were not in favour of taking back those who had preferred their personal loyalty over the organization.
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