JAMMU: Three more Congress leaders, including a former deputy speaker of J&K assembly, and 12 office-bearers of J&K Apni Party have resigned from their respective parties on Monday in support of former UPA minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Gulam Hyder Malik, former MLA from Bani constituency in Kathua district who had been deputy speaker, and former legislative council members Subash Gupta (Kathua) and Sham Lal Bhagat (Doda) sent their resignations to the Congress high command on Monday.
The J&K Apni Party office-bearers said they wanted to form a new party with Azad, who quit the Congress last week after over 50 years amid talk that he will set up a separate outfit.
Azad’s close aide and former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori confirmed having received the letters (of support) from Malik and the two former MLCs.
The 12 J&K Apni Party leaders, including Doda district president, sent their resignations to party president Altaf Ahmed Bukhari.
Their joint letter states: “We the following members and office-bearers of Jammu Kashmir Apni Party are submitting our resignations to party president Altaf Bukhari and intend to frame a new party in consultation with Ghulam Nabi Azad.”
Many prominent Congress leaders, including former ministers and legislators, besides hundreds of panchayati raj institution (PRI) members, municipal corporators and district and block-level leaders have resigned to join Azad.