Ghulam Nabi Azad

"The politician, who was supported by the Congress party, given almost all the top posts of the party, is is speaking against that party... he broke the trust of the party and when he left the party last year, he said 'I am free now', but after listening to his comments, it feels that he is (still a) Ghulam," he added.

Expressing "shock" at the reports in a section of media in this regard, Ghulam Nabi Azad, in a tweet, said: "... Unfortunately such stories are being planted by a section of leaders in the congress party right now and are doing this just to demoralise my leaders and supporters".

But sources claim that the change of guard in the party and recent win in Himachal Pradesh have made both the factions to rethink their stance. Ahead of the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, Azad had said that only Congress could fight BJP, not AAP, and then Digvijaya Singh had even invited him to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Azad subsequently formed his own political party, Democratic Azad Party which he said would contest the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Surprising his supporters who followed him by resigning from the Congress, Azad on Sunday said that the Congress alone has the capacity to challenge the BJP in Gujarat and Himachal assembly elections. He said the the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is just a party restricted to the Union Territory of Delhi.

Ghulam Nabi Azad told the mediapersons here that around 1,500 names were suggested to him in Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit. "The mix of Hindi and Urdu is Hindustani. We wanted the name to be Democratic, peaceful and independent. "My party will focus on the restoration of full statehood, right to land and employment to native domiciles," he said.

"He (Azad) is intelligent, whatever step he has taken, he must have taken it after careful consideration. It will have an impact on the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir," Senior Congress leader Dr. Karan Singh, who is from the erstwhile royal family of Jammu and Kashmir, said.