Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has suffered a major setback before the elections. It is reported that Azad has indicated that he will not be able to campaign for the candidates due to poor health. He has even said that if the leaders want, they can withdraw their candidature. The special thing is that Azad had formed DPAP after separating from Congress. However, since the beginning, the party has been facing many setbacks including defection.
According to the Indian Express report, Azad said that he will not be able to campaign for the candidates in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. In a statement given to a local agency in Srinagar, Azad expressed regret over not campaigning for the candidates. According to the report, he said, ‘Some unforeseen circumstances have forced me to withdraw from campaigning…’
He said, ‘The candidates should themselves assess whether they will be able to move forward without my presence or not. If they feel that my absence affects their prospects, they have the freedom to withdraw their candidature.’ On Tuesday itself, 13 candidates had filed their nomination from DPAP. The first phase of voting is to be held on 18 September for 24 seats. The special thing is that now speculations have started whether the list will be released for the second and third phases on 25 September and 1 October or not.
Talking to the newspaper, DPAP spokesperson Salman Nizami said, “Azad sahab has said that he will not be able to campaign due to health issues. If any candidate feels that he will not be able to proceed due to his absence, he is free to withdraw his candidature.” Nizami said, “This is for the first phase, for which the last day for withdrawal of nomination is Friday.”
There has been a setback in the Lok Sabha
DPAP’s performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections was very poor. The party had fielded candidates from Anantnag-Rajouri and Udhampur-Doda areas, but both lost their deposits. The special thing is that both the candidates could not gain lead anywhere in the 36 assembly constituencies included in the two Lok Sabha seats. Apart from this, leaders are also leaving the party. Some time ago, senior leader Taj Mohiuddin and tribal leader Haroon Khatana have said goodbye to the party.
