Four rounds of consultations were held with Azad: Cong sources

New Delhi, Aug 17 After Ghulam Nabi Azad quit as the campaign committee Chairman hours after his appointment, sources in the Congress claimed that the party had held extensive consultations with him on every committee.

Four rounds of consultations were done by the party with Azad and the last round was held on July 14.

Congress sources claimed that when Saifuddin Soz was the state Congress president, Ghulam Nabi Azad was the campaign committee chief of the Party in Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday quit as the J&K campaign committee head after being named by the party. He has conveyed his decision to the party leadership, sources close to him said. However, there was no official word from either side.

Azad's resignation has come as a surprise to many in the party as it was considered that he was consulted in the key appointments and was active in party forums. He even took part in Congress 'Gaurav Yatra' on Monday and addressed a press conference when Sonia Gandhi was called to the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald newspaper case.

Azad has been upset since being ignored for the Rajya Sabha after he retired as the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House.

He is one of the prominent leaders of the party G-23 group which demanded sweeping reforms in the party.

The issue came on fore when the party was to begin the process of electing its new president.

The party on Tuesday appointed new office-bearers to its J&K state unit. Vikar Rasul Wani was made the state president.

The post had fallen vacant after Ghulam Ahmad Mir stepped down as the JKPCC president. Wani is a loyalist of former Chief Minister Azad.