SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir minister Prem Sagar Aziz on Tuesday rejoined the Congress, ending his five-year association with the BJP and returning to the party where he spent nearly 45 years of his political career.
Aziz, who hails from the Bani-Basohli belt of Kathua district, formally returned to the Congress at Rajiv Bhawan in Jammu in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, working president Raman Bhalla and other senior party leaders.
Welcoming him back, Karra described Aziz’s return as an indication of changing political times and said his experience and grassroots connections would strengthen the Congress, particularly in the Bani constituency.
Karra recalled that Aziz had risen through the party ranks, beginning at the block level, before serving in several organisational positions and eventually becoming a minister.
“Whatever responsibility was entrusted to him, he fulfilled sincerely. He rose from the block level and went on to become a minister. Although he parted ways with us and left the party at one point, today he has returned. I believe this is an indication of the changing political times,” Karra said.
He alleged that the BJP had exploited religion and caste for electoral gains, weakening India’s composite cultural traditions and communal harmony. He said people were gradually recognising what he described as the divisive nature of the BJP’s politics.
Karra expressed confidence that Aziz’s return would strengthen the Congress organisation at the grassroots level.
Aziz said his return reaffirmed his commitment to the Congress and its leadership. Recalling his long association with the party, he said he had served in different capacities, including state vice-president, MLA, chief whip and minister.
He acknowledged that his departure had caused displeasure among Congress leaders but said certain circumstances had compelled him to leave. He assured the leadership that he would work with dedication for the party and the people.
Aziz joined the Congress in May 1972 and remained associated with it for nearly 45 years. He was elected MLA from Bani in 2002 on a Congress ticket and subsequently served as Minister of State in the PDP-Congress coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir.
He left the Congress and joined the National Conference before moving to the BJP in October 2021, following the departure of then NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana to the saffron party.
His return is expected to give the Congress an experienced political face in the Bani-Basohli region, where his decades-long political association and local connections could prove significant for the party’s organisational efforts.
