Just days after Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, resigned from the Congress and announced that he will launch his own party ahead of the elections in the erstwhile state, over 50 senior leaders from the Union Territory also resigned from the party on Tuesday in his support. 

Among the 50 senior Congress leaders to have quit is former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Tara Chand. According to news agency PTI, the leaders have submitted a joint resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Among prominent names who have announced their resignation from the party include former ministers Abdul Majid Wani, Manohar Lal Sharma, Gharu Ram and former MLA Balwan Singh. The leaders announced their decision at a press conference on Tuesday and said they have resigned from the primary membership of the party as well. 

Also Read: Will launch own party, first unit to be in Jammu and Kashmir, says Ghulam Nabi Azad

“We have submitted a joint resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in support of Azad,” Balwan Singh said, according to PTI.

The decision comes three days after Azad, 73, ended his five-decade association with the Congress on Friday. In a hard-hitting resignation addressed to interim president Sonia Gandhi, Azad said that the party has been “comprehensively destroyed” and blamed Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing” its entire consultative mechanism.

Soon after his exit, Azad announced that he will soon launch a national-level party and its first unit was being set up in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the upcoming elections which can be announced anytime after the summary revision of electoral rolls concludes by November end.

Also Read: Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress, blames Rahul Gandhi in hard-hitting letter

“I am in no hurry as of now to launch a national party but keeping in mind that elections are likely to be held in Jammu and Kashmir, I have decided to launch a unit there soon,” Azad had said on Friday.

Several prominent Congress leaders, including former ministers and legislators, besides hundreds of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, municipal corporators and district and block level leaders have already left the Congress to join Azad, PTI reported. 

Azad is expected to arrive in Jammu on September 4 to hold consultations before the launch of his party.