Senior National Conference leader as well as party's provincial president of Jammu region, Devender Singh Rana, and an Ex-legislator Surjit Singh Salathia resigned from party's primary membership on Sunday. They are expected to join Bharatiya Janata paty (BJP) this week. Rana was among the most influential leaders for National Conference in Jammu. He was also considered close to former chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Rana expressed his pledge to the Jammu declaration - a joint document of many political, social and business organisations, mainly demanding restoration of statehood for the Jammu region and not for the whole Jammu and Kashmir.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has accepted their resignations. The party has also announced an election for the post of provincial president of the Jammu division on October 16. At present, for a short while, National Conference has nominated Ratan Lal Gupta to the post.  "Dr Farooq Abdullah has received and accepted resignations of Salathia and Rana. No further action or comment is deemed necessary," the National Conference spokesperson said.

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