Himachal, Gujarat assembly polls: In his latest statement, former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday claimed that only Congress could challenge Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
He also opined that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not capable as it is "merely a party of UT Delhi". Months after breaking its decades-long ties with the grand old party, Azad said he was not against the Congress party's secularism stance but rather its weak party system.
"Although I have separated from Congress, I wasn't against their policy of secularism. It was only due to the party's system getting weakened. I would still want Congress to perform well in Gujarat and HP Assembly polls. AAP isn't capable to do so," he told ANI.
Further, he exuded trust in Congress and claimed that the party supports people of all faiths, including Hindus and Muslim farmers. Azad also claimed that the AAP is in no position to affect change in these states since it had failed in Punjab and its residents would not support it again.
'AAP is essentially UT Delhi's political party': Azad
Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party, he remarked, "AAP is essentially UT Delhi's political party. They cannot effectively manage Punjab; only the Congress, with their comprehensive political platform, can take on the BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh."
In response to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman's comment that the Center may be considering restoring Jammu and Kashmir's State status, Azad stated that he has brought up this subject numerous times and that any action made by the central government would be applauded.
Notably, Azad is also expected to hold several meetings and address many rallies in the coming day in Doda.
It is worth mentioning here that Azad ended its 52-years-long association with Congress on August 26 this year. Later, he also launched his new political outfit 'Democratic Azad Party.'
(With inputs from ANI)
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