New Delhi: Veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently resigned from the Congress, at a public meeting in Baramulla on Sunday said that he will announce the formation of a new party within 10 days and that its ideology will be ‘independent’. “I thank my colleagues who stand with me and are the base of my new party which, God willing, will be announced within the next 10 days,” news agency PTI quoted Azad as saying.
According to the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, the agenda of this party would be to struggle for the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and to fight for the job and land rights of people.
"My party will be Azad. Many of my colleagues said we should name the party as Azad. But, I said never. Its ideology will be independent, which will not join or merge with any other. That may happen after my death, but not till then," he said, adding, “My party will be development-oriented. Its agenda will be to give employment opportunities to the people.”
It is to be noted that the 73-year-old leader had an acrimonious exit from the Congress last month, as he announced his resignation over issues about the internal functioning of the grand old party.
In his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, he targeted the party leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, over the way the Congress has been functioning for nearly nine years.
Ahead of the upcoming elections, Azad has been holding public meetings in Jammu to strengthen his electoral base.
After Baramulla, he will also be holding separate rallies in Kupwara and south Kashmir.
Earlier on Saturday, Azad told ANI that he “met around 400 people from delegations of 30-35 assembly constituencies in Jammu.”
He added, “They gave their support… and they will be a part of whatever party I make.”