A day after former Congress leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that he would launch a new party soon, local political players on Saturday were on the edge as the decision could change the electoral calculus in the Union Territory.
So far, the BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have maintained silence over Mr. Azad’s decision to quit the Congress and his likely move to launch a new political party from Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah was seen cosying up to Mr. Azad, in an apparent bid to blunt any further division of Muslim votes in Jammu and Kashmir. He even criticised the Congress leaders who attacked Mr. Azad for his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the latter’s tearful speech when Mr. Azad completed his term in Rajya Sabha.