17 Azad loyalists return to Congress, more may follow

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: The Congress has received a shot in the arm after seventeen leaders belonging to former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party (DAP) returned to its fold on Friday. The move comes as a major setback for Azad, as the leaders including former J&K Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, former JK PCC president Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Thakur Balwan Singh, considered to be loyalists to the leader, had quit Congress along with Azad. Apart from 17, two more DAP leaders would be rejoining Congress soon, said the party.The reinduction of the leaders took place at the AICC headquarters in Delhi in the presence of AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh and AICC in charge of the state Rajani Patil.

Welcoming the leaders back, Venugopal said that it was a special occasion for the party as the leaders returned ‘home’ ahead of the Bharat jodo Yatra’s entry into Jammu and Kashmir. “The stalwarts of the party in J&K, who had left us due to some misunderstanding, have come back home”. The Rahul Gandhi led Bharat Jodo Yatra will culminate with flag hoisting in Srinagar on January 30.

“I consider that they have taken two months leave from the party. Now their leave is over and they have joined back. This is just the beginning. More people will join the party,” said Venugopal.Azad had quit the Congress in August last year. After launching his outfit DAP, he said that he will take part in the upcoming assembly polls.

Speaking to reporters, Tara Chand said that he regrets the decision of leaving Congress, which has given him everything. “I have been a Congressman throughout my life. In between, I took a wrong decision in a hurry. The Congress gave me plum posts and it gave me an identity. This was the biggest blunder in my life,” he said. Azad had expelled Tara Chand, Balwan Singh and Dr Monohar Lal from the party for their alleged proximity with Congress.

Tarachand further said that he wasn’t aware of the reason for Azad to quit the Congress. After joining DAP, there was an attempt to weaken secular forces, he said. “There is a need for secular forces to come together from divisive forces. However, there was an attempt to weaken the secular forces. It was taking a wrong turn and an attempt was made to take us to a wrong place, that’s why we came back to Congress,” he said.

Seeking apology from people of Kashmir, India and Congress for deserting the Congress, Peerzada said that it was a wrong decision. “I have not slept in the last two months as I was under pressure from everyone for taking the wrong step after my 50 years’ association with the Congress,” he said.

Big setback to Azad as bigwigs desert his party

The move comes as a major setback for Azad, as the leaders including former J&K Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, former JK PCC president Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Thakur Balwan Singh, considered to be loyalists to the leader, had quit Congress along with Azad. Apart from 17, two DAP leaders would be rejoining Congress soon.