In fresh blow to Ghulam Nabi Azad party, four Chenab candidates pull out after his withdrawal from campaign

All four DPAP candidates who have withdrawn their nominations are from the Jammu division’s Chenab region – comprising Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts – which is considered to be a stronghold of Azad, a former Congress stalwart and J&K chief minister.

For the first phase of the J&K polls for 24 seats, scheduled for September 18, Azad had announced candidates in 13 constituencies – seven in the Kashmir division and six in the Chenab belt, which has eight Assembly seats.

On Tuesday, the DPAP candidates also filed their nominations. However, on Friday, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the first phase, four DPAP candidates – Mohammad Aslam Goni (Bhaderwah seat), Fatima Begum (Inderwal), Asif Ahmad Khanday (Banihal) and Girdhari Lal Bhau (Ramban) – pulled out from the fray. Bhaderwah is Azad’s home town.

“Azad sahib was our star campaigner and since he is unwell and can’t campaign, we have decided to withdraw,” Khanday told The Indian Express. “Since our constituencies are located in hilly areas, it is not possible for Azad sahib to campaign here.”

The development is likely to give a shot in the arm to the candidates of the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance in these constituencies.

Barring a few seats in Chenab, Azad’s party is not seen as a serious contender in other areas, but it is said to have the potential to split the anti-BJP votes, which, in turn, could have helped the BJP candidates in this belt that has a mixed Hindu and Muslim population. In the last Assembly elections held in 2014, the BJP had won four and Congress two seats from the Chenab belt, where the total number of Assembly seats increased from six to eight after the delimitation of the constituencies in 2022.

The Congress’s winning candidate from Chenab’s Inderwal seat in 2014, G M Saroori, was an Azad loyalist, who joined his party last year. But since he was not fielded by the DPAP from his seat, he is now contesting as an Independent candidate.

Khanday said the DPAP candidates’ decision to withdraw from the fray has no other reason other than Azad’s absence from electioneering. “We have withdrawn from the polls but we would not be supporting or opposing any candidate,” he said.

But Girdhari Lal Bhau, who also withdrew his nomination, said he would take a call in a day or two on the question of his support for any other candidate. “This news (Azad not being able to campaign) has disappointed our workers. We have lost hope. When our candidates from Bhaderwah and Banihal withdrew, I also decided to withdraw,” he said. “For the last two days, my workers are regularly asking me what to do now? We had a meeting yesterday (Friday) and we are meeting again today (Saturday). I asked my workers to wait for a few days if there is a direction from high command. Or else, I will meet my workers and seek their opinion on who we should support. Then we will talk to that candidate and ensure our demands are accepted”.

DPAP sources, however, said that behind an “unwell” Azad’s sudden decision to not campaign for his party candidates and “give hints to them to withdraw” is the perceived “public anger”. “Azad’s candidates are seen as voter-cutters. People here think that if Azad’s candidates stand for elections, it will directly benefit the BJP and there is a consensus developing among the anti-BJP voters to rally behind only one candidate,” sources said. “Azad realised this, which was the reason for this sudden decision. On the other hand, his candidates are not going to make any big difference in the Valley, so the candidates there have not withdrawn. Azad understood that if he goes against the mood of the people, it will erode his base even in his home region.”

In just two years after its formation in September 2022, Azad’s party seems to be unravelling. While the DPAP attracted several senior leaders of the Congress initially, days after Azad turned rebel and left the grand old party, it has failed to keep its flock together. While Azad expelled three senior party leaders – ex-deputy CM Tara Chand, former minister Manohar Lal Sharma and former MLA Balwan Singh – within three months of his party’s launch, a slew of the DPAP leaders returned to the Congress in the very first year. These leaders included party vice president and former minister Abdul Rashid Dar, Sham Lal Bhagat, Naresh Gupta and the party’s women wing leader Saima Jan.

The latest exodus from the DPAP started after it failed to make a mark in the Lok Sabha elections, its first litmus test. Senior leader Tajo Mohidin and tribal leader Haroon Khatana left the party recently.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the DPAP fielded two candidates – from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in the Valley and the Udhampur seat in the Jammu region – both of whom lost their security deposits. Saroori was the party candidate from Udhampur. Azad’s own decision to withdraw from Anantnag-Rajouri after announcing his candidature was the first pointer towards the party’s little expectations from the polls.
There is no clarity within the DPAP ranks whether the party would release any list of candidates for the next two phases of voting to be held on September 25 and October 1. Bhau said they have “no direct contact with Azad sahib”.