All four candidates had filed their papers from parts of Azad’s home turf in the Chenab Valley, formerly the Doda district. Azad had reportedly left suddenly for New Delhi, giving his party candidates the option to contest the election based on their personal choice.
Although elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly are being held after a gap of ten years, the ongoing election process is witnessing the absence of three former chief ministers – Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and Ghulam Nabi Azad – from the electoral arena.
Earlier speculations were rife that Azad might return to Congress before the assembly elections, but this was denied by the DPAP.
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Sunday clarified that party chairman and senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is not rejoining the Congress Party.
DPAP's denial on the issue has come amidst the season of defection that set in immediately after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
Amit Shah headed a meeting with leaders of the core group of Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday at his residence in Delhi which lasted for three hours.
The meeting came within 24 hours of Azad's resignation from all posts in Congress and it holds importance as the polls in the valley are likely to be held later this year.
A day after Ghulam Nabi Azad's exit from the Congress, MP Manish Tewari said that a crack seems to have appeared in coordination between India and the Congress that existed since 1885.
Azad in his letter has mentioned about the 'sycophants' ruling the Congress in the present times.
"It was not expected from him to write a letter when Soniaji was in Delhi's hospital. Soniaji has saved and run the party for the last 20 years. The style Azad sab put in his papers is inhumane... against human feelings...and highly insensitive."
