The resignation spree in J&K Congress in support of veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad continued on Monday, with four more leaders, including former deputy speaker of J&K Assembly Gulam Hyder Malik, quitting the party.
Those who resigned on Monday inlcude Gulam Hyder Malik, a former Congress MLA from Kathua's Bani, J&K Congress general secretary Maheshwar Singh Manhas, and two former MLCs -- Subash Gupta from Kathua and Sham Lal Bhagat from Doda.
"We have received the letters (of support) from Malik, Gupta and Bhagat," PTI quoted Azad's close aide and former minister GM Saroori as saying.
Azad on Friday had ended his five-decade association with the party, calling it "comprehensively destroyed". In a five-page resignation letter, the seasoned leader blamed Rahul Gandhi of "childish behaviour", irresponsibility, and allowing a "coterie of inexperienced sycophants" to rule the party.
The Congress had alleged that Azad's DNA had been "Modi-fied" and linked his resignation to the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure.
The former Congress leader has said that he would soon set up a new party in Jammu and Kashmir as the Assembly elections could be announced anytime. He has, however, ruled out joining the BJP.
Moreover, 12 workers of the Apni Party from Doda, including its district president Asgar Hussain Khanday, district general secretary Virender Kumar Sharma and district vice-president (women's wing) Promila Sharma, tendered their resignation and extended their support to Azad. Azad hails from Bhaderwah town in Doda.
READ | Ghulam Nabi Azad To Form Own Party In J&K Ahead Of Polls, Rules Out Joining BJP
On Monday, former J&K deputy chief minister Tara Chand, former ministers Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma and Gharu Ram and former MLA Balwan Singh met Azad in Delhi. They are likely to announce their loyalty to him on Tuesday after resigning from the Congress, PTI reported.
Over a dozen prominent Congress leaders, including former ministers and legislators, besides hundreds of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, municipal corporators and district and block-level leaders have resigned from the party so far.
Last week, eight senior party leaders, including three former ministers -- RS Chib, GM Saroori and Abdul Rashid, resigned from the Congress's primary membership.
Other who quit in Azad's support are former MLAs Mohammad Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad Wani and Choudhary Mohammad Akram, former MLC Naresh Gupta and party leader Salman Nizami.