Democratic Azad Party elects new chairman; Ghulam Nabi Azad to lead party

Jammu: Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, has been elected as chairman of his newly founded Democratic Azad Party (DAP), a party leader announced on Saturday.

The leader stated that a founder members' session that was held in both Jammu and Srinagar passed a resolution to this effect and that it was unanimous.

Azad, 73, who quit the Congress on August 26, launched DAP in Jammu on September 26 with the support of dozens of former ministers, ex-legislators and other prominent leaders, the majority of whom also resigned from the Congress in his support.

They include former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, former ministers Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Taj Mohiuddin, G M Saroori, R S Chib, Jugal Kishore, Majid Wani and Manohar Lal Sharma among others.

Azad spent four days in Kashmir from September 27 before returning to Jammu.

With PTI inputs