First, Azad’s brutal assessment of the Congress in a -page letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi.
In his letter, Azad squarely blamed Rahul Gandhi for Congress’s downfall, calling him “immature” and a “non serious” person surrounded by “a coterie of sycophants”.
Azad’s criticism of Gandhi was sure to cause a heartburn among various Congress veterans, especially those considered close to the Gandhi scion. But it was music to BJP‘s ears, which used it as cannon fodder to target the grand old party.
Second, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said that “GNA’s (Azad’s initials) DNA has been Modi-fied” — an obvious suggestion that the J&K veteran may join hands with BJP in the future, either as an ally or a party member.
For now, Azad has said that he will float his own political outfit with its first unit in J&K in view of the impending polls there.
Though Azad may have ruled out joining BJP for now, both sides have dropped plenty of hints in the past about a possible alliance in the future. A quick recap:
* Azad was the chief rebel of G-23: He joined 22 leaders to pen that controversial letter to Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 and had been hosting its meetings since then.
* He had a grudge: Congress high command chose to let his Rajya Sabha tenure lapse in February 2021 instead of renominating him.
* PM showed his love for him: Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke down while delivering a farewell address in the Rajya Sabha upon his retirement. “I will not let you retire … My doors are always open for you,” Modi told him in a choking voice then. Azad also cried.
* He showed his ‘respect’ by not talking about PM: His reluctance to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah during his public meetings has not gone unnoticed.
* But he kept criticising the younger Gandhis: Azad wasn’t mincing words about Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. “For saying no [to the Gandhis], you become nobody today,” he had said..
* He got a Padma award. Pranab Mukherjee was the last one from Congress to get it from this government.
* Azad’s nephew joined BJP in February 2022.
How a ‘free’ Azad may help BJP after delimitation in J&K
* A prominent face: The only Muslim-dominated state, which is now a Union Territory, needs a Muslim face. Abdullahs and Muftis still have a party to run.
* Azad can still draw crowds: He addressed 10 public meetings last year and has been crisscrossing the state in an attempt to reach out to the locals.
* Azad’s Delhi link is a plus: Azad’s long innings in national politics inspires a link between Kashmir and the rest of India. Except for the three years (2005-2008) that he spent in Kashmir after becoming the CM, the rest of his political life has been in Delhi.
* Kashmiris may like him: His administrative experience may inspire confidence in the minds of ordinary Kashmiris.
* He has a Jammu link too: Azad was born in Doda, a town in Jammu.
* If Azad launches a new party: Given people’s disillusionment with mainstream regional parties in the Valley, Azad’s new party may have as good or bad a chance as others. He has nothing to lose. Moreover, he can even dent the vote banks of NC or PDP if he steps into the fray, ultimately benefitting BJP.