Ghulam Nabi Azad starts new political journey

Ghulam Nabi Azad started a new political innings today, a week after he quit the Congress party. The 73-year-old leader addressed a rally in Jammu today and said that people will decide on the name of a new party he is to lead as well as decide on its flag. He is a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister.

Azad said that he stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. According to Azad, who had earlier announced he would float a new party, said that the first unit will be in Jammu and Kashmir. “I have not yet decided on a name. The people here will decide on the name and flag for the party,” he said. Elections are due here.

After his resignation, Azad targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “childish behaviour” and said decisions were taken by others on his behalf. In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, he blamed Rahul Gandhi for Congress’ defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, following which the party has not witnessed any turnaround. He wrote that Sonia Gandhi is “just a nominal figurehead” while important decisions are taken by “Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guards and PAs.”

Azad was honoured with the Padma Bhushan this year and was accused by some within the Congress as someone who had developed close ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in recent times.