Ghulam Nabi Azad’s New Party: ‘Jammu & Kashmir People To Decide Name And Flag’

Srinagar: Senior leader and former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said after resigning from Congress recently that he will be forming his own party.

On Sunday, Azad said at his first public meeting since snapping near five-decade-long ties with Congress that he was yet to decide on a name for his party, adding that the people of Jammu & Kashmir will decide the name and flag for the party.

“I will give a Hindustani name to my party that everyone can understand,” Azad said at Sainik Colony in Jammu.

Azad, who served as chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir from 2005-2008, was given a rousing reception at Jammu airport. Scores of Congress leaders and workers quit the grand old party to support Azad.

“I am always with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Right now, I am not the chief minister or any minister. I am just a human. In the past one week, many people have resigned from the Congress and have supported me,” Azad said, thanking the five ministers who joined him.

“Three of them joined a regional party, I never named that regional party chief, but they got agitated when I spoke of floating my own party,” Azad added.

Pitching Azad as the next chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, former ministers present on the dais said that the people of Jammu & Kashmir need him as he is “indispensable”.