Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front on Monday announced that it will field candidates in only three Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam to “stop division of secular votes”, raising hopes of the Congress that the votes of the AIUDF would be transferred to it even as it denied any understanding.
“We want to make sure that the secular vote doesn’t get divided,” Aminul Islam, General Secretary of AIUDF said on Monday. He said that the party will be contesting from Dhubri, Barpeta and Karimganj, the three seats it won in 2014. Party chief and perfume baron Ajmal would be again contesting from Dhubri while his brother Sirajuddin Ajmal, the sitting MP from Barpeta has not been fielded this time.
The party which has its support mostly among Bengali Muslim voters, cornered an impressive 15% votes in the 2014 polls in the 10 constituencies it contested out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. In the 2011 Assembly polls, it emerged as the principal opposition party in Assam.
“We were trying for an alliance (with the Congress) since we are all opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,” Islam said adding that the attempts were unsuccessful.
Earlier this month, party chief Badruddin Ajmal had hinted there had been a conversation with the Congress. “There is no clarity. I can’t say that we haven’t spoken; neither can I say that we have, because I don’t trust them. If I say something, they will come out and deny it,” Ajmal had said.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this month, party chief Badruddin Ajmal had hinted there had been a conversation with the Congress. “There is no clarity. I can’t say that we haven’t spoken; neither can I say that we have, because I don’t trust them. If I say something, they will come out and deny it,” Ajmal had said.
{{/usCountry}}Islam said AIUDF is already a part of Mahagathbandhan and rubbished the BJP’s claims that the AIUDF and the Congress had an agreement.
“An unholy alliance of Congress and the AIUDF is trying to fight the BJP. We believe that this unholy alliance will be rejected by the people of Assam,” BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said at a press conference in Guwahati on Sunday.
“The BJP claims we are helping the Congress. The Congress claims we are with the BJP,” Islam said adding there is neither an alliance nor an understanding. “We have announced a candidate for Karimganj. Congress too has announced its candidate. Where is the question of understanding?” he asked.
The Congress, too, denied any understanding. “We are going to field candidates in all 14 constituencies,” Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Congress Legislative Party said.
Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi had blamed the AIUDF for being a proxy of the BJP and eating away Congress votes by fielding candidates in seats it had no chance of winning.
“We expect their votes would come to us now that they are not fielding but one cannot be sure. The NPP has also fielded candidates,” he said adding there is no understanding. “If there was an understanding it would be out in the open. If the AIUDF wants its votes should go to the Congress, it should make an appeal,” he said.
“It may be because they are losing popularity that they are not fielding candidates and have decided to concentrate on three seats,” Gogoi said adding he didn’t expect AIUDF to win even one this time