Delivering another blow to the embattled party, as many as eight leaders of the Congress from Jammu & Kashmir have quit in solidarity with senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad who resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, earlier in the day. After being associated with the grand old party for over 5 decades, Azad parted ways blaming Rahul Gandhi for destroying the consultative mechanism of the party.
The former MLAs of Jammu & Kashmir who have resigned from primary membership of the party after Azad's departure are: Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, Haji Abdul Rashid, Mohammad Amin Bhatt, Gulzar Ahmad Wani, Chaudhary Mohammad Akram and Senior Congress Leader & Former Minister RS Chib.
"We the 5 ex-MLAs are resigning from the Congress party in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad. Now, only Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress (JKPC) president will be left alone," Saroori told reporters after quitting the grand old party.
Soon after 5 ex-MLAs put down their papers, another Congress leader and former minister RS Chib resigned from the party and wrote a no holds barred letter to the Congress president detailing his grievances.
Later in the day, former MLA Mohammad Akram, former MLC Naresh Gupta and party leader Salman Nizami also resigned in Azad's support, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.
In the letter, Chib said, "I feel that in the prevailing circumstances, Congress party has lost its momentum in contributing towards the future of my state. Keeping in view the turmoil that the State of J&K has witnessed over the past decades, the people require a decisive leader like Jb. Ghulam Nabi Azad to guide them towards a better future. I feel that Congress party has not been able to play the role that is expected of it."
"Congress lost decisive leadership both at central and state level. This loss caused party's graph to decline... GN Azad is a leader himself, his decision is his own. But we will stay with him in whatever he decides," Chib said while speaking to news agency ANI.
We knew he would resign, had been having these talks for the past 2 months. Ghulam Nabi Azad was pushed against the wall by the party High Command, he had no choice but to quit the party and it's primary membership," he added.
The sources even informed that former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, former MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and Muneer Ahmad Mir from Kupwara are also mulling to resign from the Congress. The leaders are also considered close confidants of Azad.
"We, the senior party leaders, are holding a meeting in the aftermath of the new developments. We will be meeting Azad sahib as well," PTI quoted Chand as saying.
Excerpts From Ghulam Nabi Azad's Resignation Letter
Ending his over five decade association with the party, Azad (73) said the party had "lost both the will and ability under the tutelage of the coterie" running the affairs of the party to fight for what is right for India.
Azad, who named Rahul Gandhi in his stinging letter, said: "Unfortunately, after the entry of Rahul Gandhi into politics and particularly after January 2013 when he was appointed as vice president by you, the entire consultative mechanism which existed earlier was demolished by him."
The former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said that all important decisions are being taken by Rahul Gandhi or rather worse "his security guards and PAs".