Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to launch a new political party in a meeting to be held at Sainik Colony in Jammu on Sunday.

This will be his first public meeting after quitting Congress which is scheduled for 11am today.

Last month, Azad’s close confidant G M Saroori had said that he will launch his own party and its first unit would come up in Jammu and Kashmir within a fortnight.

The former Congress leader had served as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2005-08. He also served as Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

Following Azad’s signal to launch a new party, several leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have resigned from Congress.

Additionally, as many as 36 Congress leaders including leaders of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) from various universities in Jammu have resigned from the party.

On August 26, senior leader Azad resigned from Congress with sharp jabs at the Gandhi family and the organisational leadership.

In a letter addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Azad cited the sidelining of senior leaders and the increasing sway of a "coterie of inexperienced sycophants" as the reasons behind his exit from the party.