Ghulam Nabi Azad is set to start a new political innings today with a rally in Jammu, a week after he quit the Congress with a ballistic attack on the Gandhis.
Mr Azad is likely to announce the formation of his new party in the rally. The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister last week said he will launch a new party soon. The first unit, he said, will be in Jammu and Kashmir where polls are due.
The party led by Mr Azad will have the option to tie up with the BJP or mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir such as National Conference or PDP. Mr Azad, however, said in an NDTV interview that there is “no question” of a tie-up with the BJP. “Neither they will get benefited, nor I will,” he said.
The 73-year-old leader quit the Congress days after he rejected a post in the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, saying his recommendations for appointments had been ignored. His exit prompted a mass exodus of Congress leaders from the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit.
Following his resignation, the veteran leader targeted the Congress high command, accusing Rahul Gandhi of “childish behaviour” and immaturity and of letting a “coterie of inexperienced sycophants” run the party.
Mr Azad’s resignation comes ahead of the 2024 general election and follows several high-profile exits from the party, including those of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the party’s former Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar, and former Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Ashwani Kumar.