Just minutes after former MLA from Sangrama Shoaib Lone resigned from the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), the party announced its support for jailed politician Engineer Rashid in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency elections.
After Eng Rasheed's son Abrar Rashid's appeal to DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad, we have decided to extend our support to Engineer Rashid and appeal to voters to vote for the Pressure Cooker symbol to ensure his victory- Taj Mohiuddin, Treasurer & North Kashmir incharge DPAP. pic.twitter.com/GFG3IeWX7M
— DPAP (@DPAP_office) May 16, 2024
In a hastily called press conference, senior DPAP leader and former minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din stated that the party decided to back Engineer Rashid after his son Abrar Rashid approached DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad seeking support.
“Engineer Rashid is innocent, and people want him out of jail. He has always fought for the people’s cause, so this is injustice,” said Taj Mohi-ud-Din. He added that following Abrar Rashid’s appeal to Azad, the DPAP has extended its support to Engineer Rashid and is urging voters to ensure his victory.
“I don’t know why Shoaib Lone resigned, but we as a party have backed Engineer Rashid from day one. I even spoke with his son. Our workers have been campaigning for him from the start,” Taj asserted. Earlier, the DPAP suffered a setback in Kashmir when former Sangrama MLA Shoaib Lone, who wields significant influence in Sangrama and neighboring areas, resigned from the party. After quitting, Lone announced his support for the jailed Engineer Rashid in the Baramulla parliamentary polls.
Sensing growing discontentment among party leaders, Ghulam Nabi Azad clarified the DPAP’s stance, stating that party members view Engineer Rashid as the best candidate for Baramulla and that he did not prevent them from supporting him.
“They see Omar Abdullah as an outsider and consider Engineer Rashid a better choice. Therefore, I didn’t stop them from supporting him,” Azad explained, adding that the DPAP had decided not to field a candidate in North Kashmir, instead identifying Engineer Rashid as a suitable contender.
