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By Tanuj Dhar
Guwahati, Nov 6 (IANS): At a time when key players in national politics are talking about opposition unity to fight the BJP, the situation in Assam is the opposite as two major factions of the BJP – the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) – attack each other almost. every day.
A little over a year and a half ago, Congress and AIUDF formed a grand alliance and jointly fought last year’s assembly elections. But, after the electoral defeat, the Congress broke up with the AIUDF. Since then, the relationship between the two sides has become bitter which has reached its lowest point in the last week.
Congress leaders are conducting ‘Assam Jodo’ till November 1, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal has criticized the party’s ambitious campaign.
Ajmal alleged that a section of Congress leaders in the state are playing in the hands of Himanta Biswa Sarma. He said: “I know several Congress leaders who are on Sarma’s payroll and have even made several trips abroad taking money from the Prime Minister.”
He also attacked Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah as a leader who was ‘incapable’ of leading the party in the state and said he had no importance in the central leadership.
“This proves that the ‘Assam Jodo’ is going on without the presence of prominent national leaders of the party even though Borah had earlier said that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will participate in the yatra,” Ajmal added.
Obviously, Ajmal’s remarks did not go down well with the Congress leaders and they attacked him heavily. Bhupen Borah said that Ajmal has a ‘secret alliance’ with the BJP, partly because he deliberately made harsh remarks against Congress leaders.
He also said that the Congress will never have an alliance with Ajmal’s party in future.
On the other hand, Badruddin Ajmal has clearly warned that the Congress cannot win a single seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections unless it gets the support of the AIUDF. He believes that in last year’s Assembly elections, his party led the Congress to victory in at least a dozen seats. Ajmal claimed, “We could have won more seats but we chose to support them (Congress).”
There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam and apart from several seats in upper Assam and Bodoland, the Muslim vote is an important issue. Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gaurav Gogoi won from Kaliabor and Pradyut Bordoloi — another Congress MLA, may win the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat for the last time as there is no AIUDF candidate in these two seats.
This time, AIUDF is planning to field candidates there and if that happens, Congress may lose both the seats. Another Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque, who won from Barpeta in the 2019 general elections, may find it more difficult if Ajmal adopts similar tactics there.
On the other hand, AIUDF currently has only one MP in the Lok Sabha – Badruddin Ajmal, however he will retain his Dhubri seat regardless of whether the Congress fields a candidate there or not.
So, it is the Congress party which is predicted to win the battle in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP is already on a mission to color Assam saffron in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with the aim of winning 12 of the 14 seats. While BJP ministers and MPs have jumped at Ajmal’s recent remarks, the Congress has alleged that this is part of Sarma Sarma’s and AIUDF’s strategy.
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