Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party general secretary Vikram Malhotra quits party; says leadership has no roadmap

JAMMU: In a setback to Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), the prominent face from Jammu region and General Secretary of Party, Vikram Malhotra on Wednesday resigned from the party stating that the leadership has no coherent policy and programme.
In a resignation letter sent to Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari, outgoing leader Vikram Malhotra stated that he is 'convinced that the Apni Party offers no promises to translate into reality at any point of time'.
“For over two years, we counted the ill and bad of other parties to convince people that we are the political party of the future. I am feeling deeply pained and dismayed to say that most of us are now tired of this. I am not able to figure out any coherent and workable policy and programme of the Apni Party,” Mr Malhotra said in his resignation .
In a letter addressed to Apni Party Chief, Malhotra stated, "The Apni Party, as I am able to understand, will take a very long time to be able to evolve as any sort of movement to represent people.
"That would also be possible only if there is any coherent policy and programme to follow."
As we have known each other for a very long time, you would agree that power has never been a temptation for me. I carry a glorious legacy where principles and not power have mattered. However, it is very important to stay clear on the course of public service with clarity of head and heart. Unfortunately, that clarity of head and heart appears not even a distant possibility in the party.
As I resign from the Apni Party, from organisational position and membership, I take this opportunity to offer my very sincere thanks to you for the mutually respectable engagement that we had together.
When contacted Malhotra in a short reply said, "Yes, I have resigned from the party because there was total mess and the leadership has policy especially for the Jammu region." "The party is just regional bias like other Kashmir based parties," he reasoned.
To a question about future plans, he returned with a diplomatic and brief reply and said, "Nothing has been finalized yet and I can't comment on it." Vikram Malhotra- the main face for Apni Party in Jammu is the son of former Legislative Council chairman and veteran Congress leader, Amrit Malhotra.
Earlier the then General Secretary of J&K Congress, Vikram Malhotra along with Former Minister and Senior leader Manjit Singh resigned from the party on March 7, 2020 and duo joined Altaf Bukhari-led new political outfit- Apni Party.
Malhotra is not the first leader who quitted the Apni party, prior to this the women wing president of Apni Party, Namrata Shrama on April 20, resigned from Apni Party claiming that the voice of Jammu leadership is being curbed and being prevented from raising issues like rollback of statehood, holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh anniversary and many more. Earlier, former MLA Bishnah Kamal Arora quit the party on November 1, 2021 and had joined the BJP