All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Wednesday hinted at an alliance with the Congress for the Assam assembly elections, after Congress leader and chief minister Tarun Gogoi said a poll pact with non-BJP parties “is always a possibility”.
The Congress, however, denied allying with the AIUDF that is the largest party in the Assam assembly after the ruling Congress. A day after proposing former minister and Congress legislator Abdul Muhib Mazumdar’s name for the Rajya Sabha, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said his party would not field candidates in eastern Assam to ensure the votes of non-BJP parties are not split. “We have a common goal of preventing the BJP from forming the government in Assam. We will not field candidates in 66 upper (eastern) Assam constituencies. The Congress should reciprocate in lower (western and southern) Assam,” Ajmal said at a public rally. However, state Congress president Anjan Dutta said, “We will decide whom to nominate for Rajya Sabha and how many seats to contest, not Ajmal.”
State president of the BJP Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The Congress is scared of annoying indigenous voters who dread being overrun by illegal migrants, hence is not making the poll deal with AIUDF public,” he said. Since 2005, AIUDF has consolidated its position in areas dominated by migrant Muslims. It is seen as a threat to Congress across minority belts.
{{/usCountry}}State president of the BJP Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The Congress is scared of annoying indigenous voters who dread being overrun by illegal migrants, hence is not making the poll deal with AIUDF public,” he said. Since 2005, AIUDF has consolidated its position in areas dominated by migrant Muslims. It is seen as a threat to Congress across minority belts.
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