Congress will be responsible for defeat of INDIA bloc alliance in Assam, says AIUDF

With 16 MLAs in the 126-member Assam Assembly, AIUDF is the second-largest opposition party in the state after Congress. Having a Muslim population of around 35 to 40 per cent in Assam, the party founded by Badruddin Ajmal is optimistic about winning all three contesting seats in Assam.

New Delhi:Claiming that several Congress leaders are switching over their loyalties to the BJP in Assam, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Thursday asserted its support for strong candidates of the INDIA bloc to defeat the BJP.

“We will support such candidates of INDIA bloc, who can give a tough fight to BJP. However, Congress will be solely responsible for any debacle of INDIA bloc candidates. As being the largest party in the alliance, it (Congress) did not bother to accommodate and compromise during the seat-sharing formula,” said Aminul Islam, chief spokesperson of AIUDF to ETV Bharat in New Delhi.

According to Islam, the alliance could have got at least eight seats, had Congress adjusted with INDIA bloc parties. “Congress is losing its wicket very fast. Many of the Congress leaders are in touch with the BJP. At least four to five MLAs are supporting BJP. Senior leaders as well as the working president of the Congress are also joining the BJP. Tea tribe leaders expressed their interest in working for the BJP,” said Islam.

The AIUDF has fielded three candidates in Assam. Party president Badruddin Ajmal is contesting from the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat. He is also the sitting MP from the lower Assam constituency. The party has fielded Sahaful Islam Choudhary from Karimganj and Hazi Aminul Islam, a sitting MLA from the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. “We are contesting in only three seats. In other Lok Sabha seats like Darrang, Silchar, Koliabor and Jorhat, we will support anti-BJP candidates,” said Islam and added that AIUDF wants to stop division in anti-BJP votes.

Congress, although, has fielded its candidate Deep Bayan from Barpeta, the AIUDF will support CPM candidate Manoranjan Talukdar from this seat, said Islam. The CPM is an ally of the united opposition in Assam. The Congress on the other hand often described AIUDF as the “B” team of the BJP. “We are not a B team of BJP. In fact, on many occasions we have clearly said that we stand against BJP’s ideology,” said Islam.

It is worth mentioning that with a Muslim population of around 35 to 40 per cent in Assam, the community plays a major role in at least eight to nine Lok Sabha constituencies. In Darrang, there are at least seven lakh Muslim votes. The Muslim population in Nagaon is 54 per cent. In Silchar, too, the community has a good presence. The Muslim population in the Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat is around 35 to 40 per cent. In Barpeta there is a presence of 42 per cent Muslim population.

When asked about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Islam reiterated his party’s anti-CAA stand. “We are opposing CAA. In a secular country, we can’t accept citizenship based on religion. It goes against the principle of the historic Assam Accord of 1985,” said Islam.