Jammu, Srinagar : Nearly two weeks after being expelled from Ghulam Nabi Azad led newly formed Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), the former deputy chief minister of J&K, Tara Chand among 17 leaders rejoined Congress at New Delhi on Friday. However, some of the leaders, who rejoined Congress today including Tara Chand and Balwan Singh, were expelled from DPAP by its chief on December 24, 2022 for “anti-party” activities.
The 17 leaders rejoined the party on Friday in presence of MP Rajya Sabha and AICC General Secretary (Organization), K C Venugopal and AICC) in-charge J&K affairs Rajni Patil. The leaders include Tara Chand, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, Balwan Singh, Advocate Muzaffar Paray, Advocate Mohinder Bhardwaj, Bhushan Dogra, Virodh Sharma, Narendra Sharma, Naresh Sharma, Amresh Mangotra, Subhash Baghat, Santosh Manhas, Badrinath Sharma, Varun Mangotra, Anuradha Sharma and Vijay Sargotra.
Pertinently, former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, resigned from Congress in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad in Jammu on August 30, 2022, stating that Azad’s vision will shape a new and bright future for Jammu and Kashmir.
Soon after being expelled, Tara Chand claimed that resigning from Congress party was a ‘blunder’ and they would continue to be secular till last breath and had no problem joining the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra when it entered Jammu and Kashmir. MP Rajya Sabha and AICC General Secretary (Organization), K C Venugopalwelcomed the leaders in the partyfold again and said that the leaders took a wise decision to join Congress again. He further added that like-minded people across the country including Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are joining Bharat Jodo Yatra. He said that former Congress leaders have also observed that they should also extend their support to their own party and thus decided to join back.
Tara Chand while talking to reporters during the presser said that it is time for secular forces to join hands to defeat the ill designs on the ground. “The secular minded people should join hands to protect the country,” he said.
Reacting to the rejoining of Tara Chand and other leaders in Congress, Azad said that those who have rejoined Congress don’t have any constituencies. “I will speak anything against them as they joined us on their own and left the party on their own as well neither I approached them nor I asked them to stay because all the three leaders including the former Dy CM had no constituencies as all the constituencies they belong to are either reserved or de-reserved,” he said. He further said that the leaders are now unemployed. “I don’t want leaders, but want the people,” he said, adding that there is no setback for the party after they left the party
