Srinagar, Aug 23: Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Saturday called on Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) chairman and MLA Khansahab Hakim Muhammad Yasin.
Sources said Azad, who arrived from New Delhi, drove to Hakim Yasin’s Tulsibagh residence where both the leaders had a more than one hour close door meeting. “Azad’s abrupt decision to call on Hakim has one only reason which is to garner support of PDF for Congress in the upcoming polls. With BJP trying to woo smaller political parties in the state to join them ahead of polls, Congress is making desperate attempts to keep its old allies intact,” they said.
Sources said that Azad sought PDF’s support for the upcoming polls during the meeting. “He (Azad) reminded Hakim about the good relations between Congress and PDF. However, it wasn’t immediately known whether Hakim agreed to support the Congress in the upcoming polls or not,” they added.
“Azad’s latest visit to J&K is in the backdrop of BJP’s aggressive posture to capture power in the state. He (Azad) had been specially sent to the state by the Congress high command to stop the rise of Saffron party in J&K,” sources said.
With BJP national president Amit Shah set to begin his two day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday to review ‘Mission 44+’ and frame a road map for coming Assembly elections in the State, Congress wants to leave no stone unturned to stop the Saffron party juggernaut in the state.
“Azad’s latest visit to J&K is in the backdrop of BJP’s aggressive posture to capture power in the state. He (Azad) had been specially sent to the state by the Congress high command to stop the rise of Saffron party in J&K,” sources said. During his two day visit Amit Shah is expected review the prevailing political situation in the State with BJP leaders and seek a feedback from them on the ongoing political developments in the State, sources said.