After holding a series of meetings with supporters at Jammu for four successive days, the former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is now on a "poaching mission" to lure as many as Congress leaders and workers to quit the party to join his group.
The "mission poaching" has given sleepless nights to J&K Congress leadership because the first and prime target of Azad is his former party.
Azad has started this mission from his home district of Doda where he has been holding a series of corner meetings, for the last two days, to mobilize his support.
A former minister, who quit Congress in support of Azad, said that a list of leaders has been prepared and the former chief minister would personally contact these leaders to convince them to join his group.
"We are on a mission to make Congress Mukt Jammu and Kashmir because our first target is Congress leaders from every nook and corner of the Union Territory", he told International Bussiness Times.
Wishing anonymity he said that many leaders of other parties, especially of the newly formed Apni Party are in touch with Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Azad has asked his supporters in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir to arrange his public meetings and interactions with prominent citizens in their respective areas.
Azad has now decided to aggressively launch the public reach-out programme to completely dismantle Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said that during the last four days, Azad has contacted his old contacts in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir to mobilize support for the party.
To give an impression that all senior leaders of the Congress have joined his group, Azad has stated on Sunday all Congress leaders but one who won the 2014 assembly elections have already deserted the party.
Without naming the newly appointed Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Vikar Rasool Wani, Azad said that the only ex-MLA of the 2014 assembly elections left in Congress is also his "well-wisher".
Cong deputes Azad's loyalist to foil his ex-mentor's designs
To counter the aggressive campaign launched by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress has deputed the newly appointed J&K Congress committee chief Vikar Rasool Wani.
Wani's name for J&K Congress chief was recommended by Azad because he was considered a staunch supporter of the former Chief Minister.
Wani is holding rallies at different places to keep his party's flock together. After maintaining a guarded silence for a couple of days, Wani launched an offensive against his former mentor. Wani has accused Ghulam Nabi Azad of playing "immoral politics"
Wani, who was always seen as being close to Azad in the J&K Congress, said betraying the Congress after 50 years was playing immoral politics. He accused Azad of never giving him any idea about parting ways with Congress.
