Political shuffle: Leaders switch sides ahead of Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir

FE prepares for first Assembly polls since being reorganised as a UT post-Article 370 abrogation

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SRINAGAR: A significant political reshuffle is underway in Jammu and Kashmir as it gears up for its much-anticipated Assembly elections, with several leaders switching sides amid personal disputes and dissatisfaction with their current mandates.

The polls, scheduled to be held in three phases beginning September 18, mark the first Assembly elections since Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised as a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Among the notable figures who made headlines for switching sides is Taj Mohiuddin, a senior leader who recently left Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) to rejoin the Congress.

Mohiuddin, who had spent 45 years with the Congress before briefly aligning with the DPAP, cited discontent with Azad's perceived closeness to the BJP as a key factor behind his decision.