Azad expels 3 confidants from newly-floated party, ex-deputy CM to rejoin Congress

The exit of Tara Chand, who served as the Deputy Chief Minister of J&K in the past, will dent the newly-floated party poll prospects in the future

The recently-floated Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad expelled three senior leaders, including the party vice-chairman Tara Chand, for “anti-party activities” on Thursday.

“DAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has expelled three leaders, including Tara Chand, Dr. Manohar Lal and Balwan Singh, from the Party with immediate effect for anti-party activities,” DAP general-secretary Rajendra Singh Chib said.

Rebel Congress leader and ex-J&K Chief Minister Azad launched his Party in September this year with a lot of fanfare, in Jammu. Considered a serious contender in the electoral landscape of J&K, Mr. Azad’s party had roped in scores of Congress leaders into its fold from J&K. However, the exit of Mr. Chand, who served as the Deputy Chief Minister of J&K in the past, will dent the newly-floated party poll prospects in the future.

Mr. Singh, considered to be from the inner circle of Mr. Azad’s party, will also raise questions over Mr. Azad’s leadership in a party with the founding principle of “not to be autocratic but democratic”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chand was likely to return to the Congress. Speaking to newsmen in Jammu, Mr. Chand said he was “a Congressman by birth”. Sources said Mr. Chand was holding meetings with his supporters to have them back in the Congress.

He also launched a tirade against Mr. Azad and described him as one “dividing the secular votes” in J&K. “Most of the people would leave the party. Where is the party? It is almost non-existent and only a few people are calling shots in it,” Mr. Chand was quoted as saying by a local wire service, KNO.