Ghulam Nabi Azad opts out of Lok Sabha election bid

Ghulam Nabi Azad, the chief of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and former Congress leader, has announced that he will not be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Initially, it was expected that he would contest from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, marking his first test of popularity in the region since leaving the Congress in 2022. The DPAP had initially announced Azad as its candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat on April 2. However, the party has now stated that Mr. Azad has decided not to contest for reasons that have not been made public.

DPAP’s provincial president for Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Bhat, mentioned that Azad presented these reasons during an internal meeting, leading the party to select Mohammad Saleem Parray as its candidate for the seat. Following Azad’s decision, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference senior leader Mian Altaf are set to compete for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat. Additionally, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference chief Omar Abdullah has accused Mr. Azad of following the script of the BJP, suggesting that he had received instructions from the party. Abdullah expressed skepticism about Azad’s intentions, highlighting the announcement of his candidacy and his subsequent reluctance to contest.