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Assam Congress severs ties with AIUDF; yet to take a call on BPF alliance
The final decision with regard to breaking ties with the “unwilling” Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) is yet to be taken.
The Assam Congress on Monday decided to sever ties with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which was part of the ‘mahajot’ or the Opposition grand alliance of 10 parties formed ahead of the March-April assembly elections. The final decision with regard to breaking ties with the “unwilling” Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) is yet to be taken.
The decision came at the core committee meeting of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) held at Guwahati ahead of by-election to six assembly constituencies in the state.
“The committee observed that ‘mahajot’ alliance partner AIUDF’s behaviour and attitude in relation to Bharatiya Janata Party has baffled the members of the Congress party. The AIUDF leadership’s and senior members continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP party and the chief minister has affected public perception of Congress party,” a resolution adopted at the meeting stated.
“The core committee members of APCC unanimously decided that AIUDF can no longer remain an alliance partner of ‘mahajot’ and in this regards will send intimation to All India Congress Committee (AICC),” it added.
Congress, AIUDF, BPF and seven other parties were part of the ‘mahajot’ formed to counter the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the state polls this year. While Congress won 29 seats, AIUDF bagged 16, BPF won 4 and CPM bagged 1 seat—taking the grand alliance to 50 seats. On the other hand, BJP and its allies won 75 seats and returned to power for the second consecutive term.
Reacting to Congress’s move, organising sectary of AIUDF and MLA, Md Aminul Islam said, “The Congress is free to take decisions regarding their party, but we would term their decision to sever ties with us a historical blunder. We had formed alliance with Congress in order to oppose BJP’s communal agenda in the assembly polls.”
“Congress can’t accuse us of having nexus with BJP. Instead today’s decision was the outcome of pro-BJP elements within the Congress. It was a BJP strategy to use Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi to break our alliance. They become successful in that and Congress was the loser,” he added.
Monday’s core committee meeting also decided that the BPF had “already expressed their unwillingness in various forums to remain in the alliance” and hence, it authorised APCC president Bhupen Borah to take a decision on continuation of the party’s ties with BPF.
