SRINAGAR: Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s political party is set to be christened as the “Democratic Progressive Azad Party” (DPAP) instead of the “Democratic Azad Party” (DAP).
Documents reveal that the process of registration of the party is in the final stage with the Election Commission of India setting January 9, 2023 as the deadline for filing objections over it.
Azad-led group has already issued public notices in two newspapers on November 25 and 26 for filing objections with the ECI over registration of the party in the name of DPAP.
The ECI had objected to the registration of Azad-led political party in the name of the “Democratic Azad Party “as a political party with a similar name already exists in Uttar Pradesh.
73-year-old Ghulam Nabi Azad severed his five decades old ties with Congress in August this year and decided to launch a new political party.
Azad has managed to trigger a vertical split within Congress, but has failed to attract leaders from other political parties despite making efforts for the same.
Azad-led group last week expelled former deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, former minister Manohar Lal and Balwan Singh for anti-party activities. They have dropped enough hints that they are returning to Congress.
This would be the 9th new political party to be registered from Jammu & Kashmir in the past four years.
According to the documents, National Awami United Party, National Democratic Party (Indian), Aman Aur Shanti Tehreek-e-Jammu & Kashmir, Voice of Labour Party (Jammu & Kashmir), Haq Insaaf Party, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement and Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party have been registered by the ECI since 2019.
The process of registration of another political party in the name of “Jammu & Kashmir All Alliance Democratic Party” is also is final stage.
A look at the history of Kashmir’s existing regional parties shows that National Conference came into existence in 1939, Peoples Conference was formed in 1978.
Jammat-e-Islamia, which was banned by the Government of India in 2019, was also participating in the electoral process before 1987.
Awami National Conference was founded by former chief minister late Ghulam Mohammad Shah after his split with the National Conference in 1984. Peoples Democratic Party came into existence in 1999.
