The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — At least 17 leaders, who had resigned from the basic membership of the Congress and had joined former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad-led party, on Friday rejoined the party in New Delhi.

The leaders had resigned to support former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who later formed his own party—Democratic Azad Party—which has now been renamed as Democratic Progressive Azad Party.

In a press conference held in New Delhi, the former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and former minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed were among the 17 leaders, who rejoined Congress today.

The leaders include Tara Chand, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, Balwan Singh, Advocate Muzaffar Paray, Advocate Mohinder Bhardwaj, Bhushan Dogra, Virodh Sharma, Narendra Sharma, Naresh Sharma, Amresh Mangotra, Subhash Baghat, Santosh Manhas, Badrinath Sharma, Varun Mangotra, Anuradha Sharma and Vijay Sargotra.

MP Rajya Sabha and AICC General Secretary (Organization), K C Venugopal, as per the news agency KNO, said the leaders have joined the party again. He said these leaders and people from across the country including Jammu & Kashmir have also extended their support to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

He said that former Congress leaders have also observed that they should also extend their support to their own party and thus decided to join back.

Tara Chand, while talking to reporters during the presser, said that it is time for secular forces to join hands to defeat the ill designs on the ground. “The secular-minded people should join hands to protect the country," he said.

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SRINAGAR — Former deputy chief minister Tara Chand on Thursday said that he is returning to Congress as “Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Democratic Azad Party is only dividing the secular vote.”

Talking to the news agency KNO, Tara Chand, who was deputy CM during the NC-Congress regime, said that he is likely to rejoin Congress. “I will rejoin the party. I am Congressman by birth,” he said, adding that he is holding consultation with his workers.

He said they were expelled from the group at the time when they were thinking of rejoining the party. “Most of the people would leave the party. Where is the party? It is almost non-existent and only a few people are calling shots in it,” he said.

He said that Ghulam Nabi Azad-led DAP is only dividing the secular vote.

Tara Chand and two leaders were expelled by the DAP on Thursday for their involvement in anti-party activities. This is a serious setback to Azad-led DAP which has failed to rope in leaders from parties other than Congress.

Former MLA Surankote Choudhary Muhammad Akram has already distanced himself from the Azad-led DAP.

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