Srinagar: The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) announced on Thursday that they are supporting Engineer Rashid for the North Kashmir Lok Sabha seat.

In an exclusive chat with Kashmir News Service (KNS), DPAP senior leader Taj Mohi-Ud-Din confirmed that the party has supported Engineer Rashid from the beginning. “I don’t know why Shoib resigned, but we as a party have backed Engineer Rashid from day one. I even spoke with his son. Our workers have been campaigning from the start,” Taj said.

Previously, DPAP’s Patron GN Azad also stated that his party is supporting Engineer Rashid in North Kashmir. He explained that the workers see Omar Abdullah as an outsider and consider Engineer Rashid a more suitable candidate, so he did not oppose their support.

Shoib Lone, former MLA Sangrama earlier resigned from the party, potentially due to misconceptions about DPAP’s support for Engineer Rashid in North Kashmir.

Shoib Lone announced his personal support for Er Rashid soon after his form was accepted by the Returning Officer Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency during scrutiny. Shoib had said that he would back Er Rashid regardless of the party’s stance.

As the party has clarified its stance on supporting Engineer Rashid, it remains to be seen whether Shoib Lone will retract his decision or stick with it.