Doda, Mar 23 (KNO): The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) got a big jolt ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, as District Development Council (DDC) member from Marmat area of Doda district Mushtaq Ahmed resigned from the party and joined Congress party.
Congress party candidate for Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat Choudhary Lal Singh welcomed him into the party and hoped that this will give boost to the campaign in Doda west Assembly segment.
He was accompanied by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) General Secretary Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, senior Congress leader Nadeem Sharief and other former Sarpanches and Panches of Doda district.
Mushtaq Ahmed had won the DDC elections against former BJP MLA and minister Shakti Raj Parihar from Marmat seat on Congress ticket but joined DPAP when former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had formed the party. Now, he joined back Congress party and assured that he will work day in and day out to ensure Ch. Lal Singh gets maximum votes from his area.
Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Mushtaq Ahmed said that the reason behind leaving DPAP was that he doesn’t want to waste his vote. “We are secular people and will always stand behind a party which is secular and works for all sections of the society. I feel that DPAP candidate Ghulam Muhammad Saroori has no chance to win the seat and voting for him means wasting our votes,” he said.
“It would be better for us to sit at home rather voting for DPAP. Choudhary Lal Singh is a strong candidate and belongs to secular party. We will work day and night to help him win this seat for the party,” he added.
Mushtaq Ahmed said that almost all former Sarpanches, Panches and his supporters resigned from DPAP and joined Congress party. “Choudhary Lal is sure that we have the capacity to put all efforts to win and he has assured all possible support from party to carry forward the elections campaign in district Doda,” the DDC member added—(KNO)