Srinagar, June 27 (Reporter) Two former ministers from Jammu and Kashmir — Taj Mohiuddin and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori —along with several others, rejoined the Congress party today. The leaders had earlier parted ways with Congress to align with Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), formed in 2022. The joining ceremony took place in Srinagar in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Syed Naseer Hussain, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hameed Karra, and senior party leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir, among others. “The rejoining of these senior leaders has given a major boost to the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir,” said AICC General Secretary Syed Naseer Hussain. “This is just the beginning. Many other prominent figures are in touch with our leadership and are keen to return to the Congress family.” Taj Mohiuddin, who had quit Congress in August 2022 to join Azad's newly launched party, later resigned from DPAP in 2023. Speaking at the function, Mohiuddin remarked, “I believe I had never left Congress, but was on leave. Today I'm back. I have always been a soldier of the Congress.” He apologized to the workers for leaving the Congress. Saroori, a senior leader who served as DPAP's vice president, had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Udhampur-Doda constituency but failed to secure a win. J&K Congress President Karra welcomed the return of former ministers, saying their rejoining would significantly strengthen the party. “Both leaders had a long and meaningful association with the Congress before parting ways. They were with the Congress for a long time and had dedicated themselves to the party’s cause. Later, they left. But today, they have admitted it was a mistake and even apologised for it,” Karra told reporters. “We know they still hold considerable sway in their respective areas. Their return will certainly strengthen the Congress, not just in their constituencies but across Jammu and Kashmir,” Karra said...////...