As electioneering for assembly polls heats up in Jammu and Kashmir, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has decided to stay away from campaigning for the party candidates due to health reasons.
The veteran politician from Jammu and Kashmir, who launched DPAP after ending his five-decade association with the Congress, said in a statement that on August 25, he suffered acute chest pain in Srinagar. "The following morning, I took the earliest available flight to Delhi and was admitted to AIIMS hospital, where I stayed for two days," the statement added.
The DPAP leader mentioned that he has other health concerns that require rest and medication. "These unforeseen circumstances have forced me to step back from the campaign trail," he said. He expressed regret for not being able to mobilise support for his party candidates during the elections.
Azad has asked his colleagues contesting the polls whether they can carry on without his presence. "If they feel my absence would impact their chances, they have the freedom to withdraw their candidacy," he said.
When DPAP was launched in September 2022, many political leaders, especially from Congress, joined the party. Initially, DPAP created a buzz, and it seemed the party would emerge as a strong force, especially in Jammu. However, the perception that DPAP was backed by the BJP dented the party’s image and many of its members and leaders quit the party; some of them rejoined the Congress.
Recently, there were reports that Azad could return to Congress, but his spokesman Salman Nizami refuted these claims. The failure of DPAP to impress during the Lok Sabha polls suggested the party has struggled to win public support.
It was widely believed that DPAP candidate G.M. Saroori from Udhampur Lok Sabha was fielded to divide Muslim votes to benefit the BJP. Saroori performed poorly and even trailed in his assembly segment, from where he had won in previous elections. Sensing the public mood against DPAP, Saroori had quit the party and filed nominations from Indherwal as an independent candidate.
The failure of Azad to rally support for his candidates is another setback to his political prospects in Jammu and Kashmir and is likely to benefit the Congress and other secular parties.