Ghulam M. Saroori, Taj Mohiuddin rejoin Congress, giving party a boost in Jammu and Kashmir

Senior leaders Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and Taj Mohiuddin rejoined the Congress on Thursday, giving the party a fresh boost in Jammu and Kashmir.

Both leaders had left the Congress in 2022 to join former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s newly formed Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP). They had even contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on DPAP tickets, but after a brief and unsuccessful run, they returned to their original party.

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The DPAP struggled to gain public support, especially after allegations that Azad had been working in favour of the BJP. The party also performed poorly in last year’s Assembly elections. 

In April this year, Azad dissolved all party units, effectively shutting down the DPAP.

Saroori and Mohiuddin rejoined the Congress at its Srinagar headquarters in the presence of AICC General Secretary (J&K in-charge) Syed Naseer Hussain, JKPCC President Tariq Hamid Karra, and senior leaders G.A. Mir and Chaudhary Lal Singh.

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“We thank the party leadership for allowing us to return,” said Saroori. “We admit our mistake and apologise.”

Mohiuddin said that leaving the Congress was a serious error and hoped to be forgiven by the leadership.

Hussain welcomed their return, saying that both had served the party in important roles and their comeback had lifted the spirits of Congress workers across the region. 

“They had left due to some reasons, but have now come back with new resolve,” he said. Their return is being seen as a big morale boost for the Congress, which is trying to regain lost ground in the Union Territory. Many party workers who had followed them to DPAP are also expected to return. Some DPAP leaders are also likely to return to Congress in the coming days.

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In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-led INDIA bloc won two out of five seats in J&K. The party now aims to strengthen its position further, ahead of the expected Assembly polls.

Observers believe Saroori’s influence in the Chenab Valley and Mohiuddin’s experience in north Kashmir will help the Congress reconnect with its traditional vote base and push its message of unity and stability.

India