Ready to help Cong stop BJP in Assam: AIUDF chief

Guwahati: Bogged down by indifferent response of the Congress, the All-India United Democrsatic Front, led by veteran Muslim leader Badruddin Ajmal, while announcing candidates for three of its existing seats on Sunday threatened to field candidates on all the seats if the Congress doesn’t come out with an understanding.

Clarifying that he was making this appeal to stop the BJP from taking advantage of division in secular votes, Mr Ajmal said that across all the constituencies AIUDF has two lakh to 2.5 lakh votes, which is very crucial in determining the outcome of the constituency.

“We are eager to help if the Congress really wants our help. We can sacrifice anything, even our electoral prospect, to stop the BJP,” said Mr Ajmal, who will be contesting the election again from the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat.

The veteran Muslim leader, who can swing decisively in Barpeta, Nagaon, Mangaldoi and even Koliabor constituencies, said that he has forgotten what Mr Gogoi said about him and is ready for a new relationship. Former CM Tarun Gogoi had attacked Mr Ajmal in the 2011 Assembly polls saying, “who is Ajmal”.

The AIUDF has announced candidates for three seats. Mr Ajmal will seek re-election from Dhubri. Also, AIUDF’s sitting MP Radheshyam Biswas will seek re-election from Karimganj seat.

For Barpeta seat, the party has dropped sitting MP Sirajudin Ajmal and given ticket to Hafiz Rafiqul Islam.

Informing that the party has decided candidates for five more seats, Mr Ajmal said that his party may consider not to field candidates on remaining five seats if the Congress comes out with an understanding.

The Congress, however, alleged that the BJP and AIUDF have tactical understanding. The BJP is also making counter allegation that the Congress and AIUDF has tacit understanding. The Congress has decided to contest all the 14 seats in Assam.

If insiders are to be believed both BJP and Congress wanted to have a “secret” understanding with AIUDF in selection of candidate on some seats but AIUDF chose to avoid that situation as it holds a lot of risks as Muslims are said to have been abandoning the AIUDF to flock near the Congress in a bid to prevent the split of the Muslim vote.

Sources said that Congress had several rounds of meeting with AIUDF chief but failed to reach to any consensus. The AIUDF, which has threatened to contest five more seats including Nagaon, Mangaldoi and even Koliabor may help the BJP candidate. The division of Muslim votes is bound to swing the final outcome on these seats, said the political observers.