In a significant turn of events, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister and chief patron of the Democratic Progressive Alliance Party (DPAP), is reportedly poised to rejoin the Congress ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, according to sources on Sunday.
A close associate of Azad informed the news agency KNO that the Gandhi family has reached out to him in an effort to persuade him to return to the Congress. The source indicated that discussions are ongoing, as senior members of the Gandhi family seek to resolve the differences that arose after Azad left the party and resigned from all positions in 2022.
“The talks are still underway between Congress’s top leadership and Ghulam Nabi Azad. He will deliberate on the matter and decide whether to rejoin the party,” the associate said.
Azad departed from Congress in August 2022 and subsequently established his own political entity, the Democratic Progressive Alliance Party, alongside other Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir who supported his departure.
On Saturday, Taj Mohi-Ud-Din, a former legislator and senior leader who was one of the founding members of Azad’s DPAP, announced that he, along with several other senior leaders, would be returning to the Congress.
The close associate further revealed that Azad had been hurt by the derogatory remarks made by some Congress leaders following his departure. “Now, the top leadership is engaging with him and working on resolving the issues to facilitate his return. He is expected to make a final decision in the coming days,” the associate added.
“The party has begun implementing some of the suggestions Azad made two years ago, possibly in an attempt to encourage his return,” he noted.
This development comes as the Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, set to commence on September 18.
