Srinagar, May 22 -- Former two-time legislator Mohammad Amin Bhat, a close associate of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, on Wednesday rejoined the Congress. Bhat had resigned from DPAP a few days ago and made the switch at a function in Anantnag. It was attended by top Congress leaders, including J&K unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra and national general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir. Bhat had unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections on a DPAP ticket last year. Bhat termed the development as his "homecoming". "Congress is my family, and I am back in it," he said. Mir described the development as a good omen for the party. "This will strengthen the party in south Kashmir," he said. The Congress, which contested the assembly elections in alliance with the National Conference (NC), won two seats in south Kashmir. Congress has six MLAs, five seats from Kashmir and one from Rajouri. However, it failed to win any seats in the Jammu region, once the party's stronghold. After a drubbing in the J&K assembly elections, losing all the 25 seats it contested, DPAP dissolved all party units, including state, provisional, district and block committees, in April, and removed the panel of spokespersons. Though the party said re-organisation would be done soon, it has maintained silence since. Azad formed DPAP in September 2022, ending his five-decade association with the Congress. DPAP was eyeing itself as an alternative to regional parties such as the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The DPAP could not gain any ground in its two electoral outings, losing all three seats it contested in the Lok Sabha polls before the assembly elections. In the assembly elections, most DPAP contestants could not even save their security deposits. J&K Congress president Karra recently said leaders who have left Azad's party were in touch with them. Congress leaders said more from the DPAP will return to the grand old party....