Ghulam Nabi Azad rejoining Congress ahead of J&K Assembly polls? His party responds to rumours

The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Sunday, August 18, issued a statement accusing Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Congress leaders of spreading rumours that the party chairman, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and his party members were joining Congress ahead of the Assembly elections 2024.

Refuting these claims, the Azad Party chief spokesperson Salman Nizami issued a notice declaring that “rumours are being spread by Congress leaders of Jammu & Kashmir for the last two weeks that Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad and his party is joining Congress.”

The chief spokesperson said, “It is also being spread that Mr. Azad was approached by the Central Congress leadership to join the Congress Party. As chief spokesperson of DPAP, let me make it clear, on behalf of the party Chairman, that ever since Mr. Azad has left Congress Party, neither Mr. Azad has approached any congress leader nor any congress leader has ever approached Mr. Azad directly or telephonically.”

Terming these rumours “totally baseless and false,” Salman Nizami launched a scathing attack on the opposition and accused the Congress of creating confusion to break DPAP.

Warning against the misinformation, he further mentioned that the party chairman has requested all Azad Party leaders and workers to abstain from falling into this trap. Dismissing these rumours, Salman Nizami said that Ghulam Nabi Azad has requested the media persons not to give any importance to these rumours.

The 90-member Jammu and Kashmir general Assembly elections will be conducted in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The first phase will see polling for 24 seats, followed by 26 seats in the second phase and 40 seats in the third phase. The counting of the votes in J&K Assembly elections has been scheduled for October 4.

The Election Commission made the announcement about assembly election dates on Tuesday, August 16. As many as 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women are eligible to cast their vote this year.