NEW DELHI: Splinter groups from Congress, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) have come together to launch a regional outfit in the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that will comprise PDP founder and ex-deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig and his colleague and former finance minister Altaf Bukhari, besides several others from the three parties.On Sunday, former junior minister for planning and development in J&K and former Congress MLA from Bandipora Usman Majid , who is part of the proposed outfit, resigned from Congress and held a rally in Bandipora, the first in J&K since Article 370 was nullified. He told TOI that senior members of Congress, PDP and NC will announce the new outfit in a few days. He also said the outfit will demand statehood for J&K and immediate conduct of panchayat polls.“I resigned from Congress today and we will announce the formation of a regional outfit in a few days that will include senior members like Muzaffar Baig and Altaf Bukhari,” Majid told TOI moments after holding a convention of Congress netas in his home constituency of Bandipora.He said it was the first political rally in the Valley after abrogation of Article 370 and the presence of over 500-600 delegates and party supporters indicated people’s eagerness to start the political process in Kashmir and bring normalcy.In the past few weeks, Bukhari has been quoted in the media expressing similar sentiments where he said a political outfit would be announced soon and that a group of senior members from different parties was engaged in drafting a constitution for it. Baig, however, refrained from commenting when approached by TOI.The government is keen to start the political process in the UT, encouraging members of mainstream parties to come together and take the initiative.Former CMs Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah of NC and Mehboob Mufti of PDP besides some other senior members of their parties were placed under arrest under the Public Safety Act on February 6, six months after they were put under house arrest. The Centre’s continued concern over maintaining law and order in the trouble-torn Valley has been cited as the chief reason for not releasing PDP and NC functionaries. The government fears that once they are released, they may incite mass protests that could lead to the situation going out of control.The announcement of panchayat elections in J&K and their postponement last week after NC, PDP and Congress expressed conditional desire to participate in the polls reflects the Centre’s willingness to engage the mainstream parties in the political process.This has added to confusion among members of the splinter groups from Congress, NC and PDP who are eager to launch a third alternative and want that the panchayat elections be held immediately. “At least five-six candidates from each ward were ready to file nomination, it was not right for the government to postpone panchayat polls,” Majid said and added that such decisions would only encourage anti-India elements.