Ghulam Nabi Azad to launch his party today at the Jammu rally

Ghulam Nabi Azad is expected to announce the formation of his new party in a rally in Jammu today. This is his first rally after quitting Congress after five decades.

The 73-year-old is scheduled to arrive in Jammu at 11 am and will proceed to Saink Farms to address the public. Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the rally.

"It is very difficult to manage such a large number of joining. we have worked out a formula to make them raise their hands in support of Azad to welcome the new entrants. People from different political parties have gotten in touch. We are expecting a tsunami of support in favour of Azad in the coming times. People have tested Azad during his chief ministership and are eagerly waiting for his return as the next chief minister," said former minister GM Saroori.

The national-level party's first unit will be in Jammu and Kashmir where polls are due. His party will have the option to ally with the BJP or other mainstream parties like National Conference or PDP. However, the former chief minister has made it clear that there is no question of allying with the BJP.

After he quit Congress saying his recommendations for appointments in the party J&K unit were ignored, it prompted a mass exodus of Congress leaders. Over a dozen prominent party leaders including former ministers, former legislators, hundreds of Panchayati Raj members, municipal corporators, and district and block level leaders have already left Congress to join the new party.

Some of the prominent leaders are former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Tara Chand, former ministers Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma, Gharu Ram, and former MLA Balwan Singh.

Hoardings and banners welcoming Azad have been put up at the Satwari chowk along the Jammu-Airport road and in the route leading to the venue of the public rally. Former minister GM Saroori said all those who resigned in support of Azad will be present at the public meeting. "Over 3,000 supporters of Azad, representing different sections of society, have expressed the desire to join hands with him at the public meeting," he added.

Azad had also criticised Rahul Gandhi and alleged the Gandhi family of letting a "coterie of inexperienced sycophants" run the party.