Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma meet Ghulam Nabi Azad; 64 more leave Congress in J&K

New Delhi/Jammu, August 30

Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, ex-deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan, all leaders of the G-23, today met Ghulam Nabi Azad for the first time since the latter quit the Congress. They are learnt to have discussed the future of the G-23 grouping, the challenges facing the party and the tasks that remain undone on the party’s revival front, with Azad moving on to chart his own course in J&K.

BJP takes a dig

The Congress needs only those who are ready to bow in front of one family. That is why its leaders are leaving. Tarun Chugh, BJP General Secretary

The leaders are also learnt to have discussed the upcoming Congress president’s election, with the party unveiling the schedule last week.

G-23 member Shashi Tharoor is said to be contemplating contesting though nothing is final yet. The leaders described the meeting as a “courtesy call”. While quitting the Congress, Azad had called the internal elections a “sham and a giant fraud”.

In Jammu, at least 64 more Congress leaders and workers, including former ministers and MLAs, resigned in support of Azad. Among them are former J&K Deputy CM Tara Chand, former ministers Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma, Gharu Ram and ex-MLA Balwan Singh.

At a press conference, Tara Chand said more leaders from all parties would join Azad. When asked about Azad being termed as a B-team of the BJP in J&K, Tara Chand said Azad and the leaders leaving Congress had nothing to do with the saffron party. “We have left the Congress as there was no internal democracy in the party,” he said.

Azad has scheduled his maiden rally in Jammu on September 4 since he ended his association with the Congress.

On the other hand, Rajani Patil, J&K in charge of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), reached Jammu, demonstrating a show of strength by holding a roadshow from the airport to the party office. Accompanied by J&K Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani, working president Raman Bhalla and others, Patil said loyal workers would keep the party flag high in every situation. “No defection shall weaken the party and it will emerge stronger,” she said. Without naming Azad, she said, “The party gave everything to some top leaders and even made them MPs and ministers.”

Meanwhile, Tarun Chugh, BJP national general secretary and J&K prabhari (in-charge), said, “The Congress needs only those leaders who are ready to bow in front of one family.”

Tara Chand joins Azad camp

• Among those who left the Congress on Tuesday are former J&K Deputy CM Tara Chand, former ministers Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma, Gharu Ram and ex-MLA Balwan Singh.
• Several prominent leaders besides hundreds of members of panchayats, civic bodies along with district and block-level leaders have already left the Congress in the past four days.