J&K: Over 20 prominent leaders from Azad's party, AAP join Congress

Over 20 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, many of them from Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), joined the Congress in the presence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi on Monday.

Congress president Kharge, AICC general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal, AICC in-charge of state Rajani Patil and Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani were also present on the occasion.

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Yashpal Kundal, an ex-minister, a two-time legislator from Panthers Party and the chief of the SC/ST and OBC cell of AAP in J&K, was among those who joined the Congress. Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, a former vice president of JKPCC who later joined Azad’s party, also returned to the Congress fold.

VIDEO | "Several former MLAs and ministers have come here (Delhi) from Jammu and Kashmir, who will join the Congress today in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge," says J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Working President Raman Bhalla.

Several AAP leaders from Jammu and… pic.twitter.com/oTumUAG4KB

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2023

Naresh K Gupta (DPAP), Sham Lal Bhagat (DPAP), Namrata Sharma (Apni Party), Saima Jan (DPAP), Shahjehan Dar (DPAP), Farooq Ahmad  (AAP), Taranjit Singh Toni, Gazanfar Ali, Santosh Majotra (DPAP), Rajni Sharma (DPAP), Nirmal Singh Mehta (DPAP), Madan Lal Chalotra (APNI Party), Hamit Singh Batti (AAP), Ramesh Pandotra (AAP), Vaid Raj Sharma (AAP), Mandeep Chowdhary (AAP), Nazir Ahmed Auqab, Maheshvar Vishwakarma and Jung Bahadur Sharma (DPAP) joined the Congress.

Also read: Ghulam Nabi Azad backed by BJP to cut votes: Jairam Ramesh

Several leaders, who had left the Congress to join Azad’s party after he quit the grand old party and formed his own outfit, have rejoined the Congress since then.

Earlier this morning, 21 J&K leaders from DAP (Disappearing Azad Party) rejoined the Congress, including one who filed a defamation case against me on behalf of Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Meanwhile, Mr. GNA himself gives new evidence of his DNA mutation by saying "those opposing Article… pic.twitter.com/oGl06OSMV0

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 7, 2023

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit out against Azad after the latter’s party leaders returned to the Congress fold. Ramesh tweeted, “Mr GNA himself gives new evidence of his DNA mutation by saying “those opposing Article 370 abrogation ignorant of the situation on the ground”. This from a man who led the charge against the abrogation in the Rajya Sabha on Aug 5 2019!”

(With agency inputs)