Ending months of speculation, Congress on Tuesday announced that the party would have a pre-poll alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) for the coming assembly polls in Assam.
Newly-formed Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) of journalist-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and three Left parties, CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML, will also be part of this pre-poll tie up.
Leaders of the six parties announced formation of this alliance at a press meet in Guwahati in presence of Congress observers for Assam polls, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and senior party leader Mukul Wasnik.
“I am thankful to all the parties who came together to form this alliance without any pre-condition just with the aim to save Assam’s culture and identity from the divisive politics of BJP. Our alliance is confident of a win in the assembly polls,” said Jitendra Singh, Congress in-charge for Assam.
Assembly polls in Assam are due in April-May and tenure of the present 126-member House expires on May 31.
This is the first time Congress and AIUDF, both opposition parties in Assam, have officially announced a pre-poll alliance. In 2016, both parties were said to have a secret understanding on seats.
{{/usCountry}}This is the first time Congress and AIUDF, both opposition parties in Assam, have officially announced a pre-poll alliance. In 2016, both parties were said to have a secret understanding on seats.
{{/usCountry}}Congress had 20 seats in the assembly while AIUDF has 14. None of the other parties that joined the alliance have seats in the 126-member House.
“We have come together to oust the ruling BJP, which has completely destroyed Assam in the past five years. We are confident that our alliance of six parties would be able to overthrow it from power,” Mohammed Aminul Islam, organizational secretary of AIUDF said.
Formed in 2005 by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal, AIUDF has significant hold among the Muslim settlers from erstwhile East Pakistan (present Bangladesh). The party won 10 seats in 2006 and got 18 in 2011.
“We are hopeful that in coming days other political parties in the state would also join our alliance. Today is the beginning of the end of BJP’s misrule in Assam,” said Rubul Sarma, state secretary of CPI-ML.
The Congress-led alliance would have to take on the BJP-led front which has Asom Gana Parishad and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). Two newly formed regional outfits, Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal, are likely to announce a tie-up soon.
“The three Cs-Congress, communists and communal (AIUDF)-coming together is an unholy alliance. Congress and AIUDF had secret understandings in previous polls and voters in Assam rejected them. This time too, with them having an official alliance, voters will repose faith in us,” said BJP spokesperson Roopam Goswami.