No truck with AIUDF’s Ajmal, asserts Gogoi

Guwahati, March 31 (IANS) Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Sunday that the Congress was not having any tacit understanding with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

Gogoi said while state BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is the 'chota bhai' (younger brother) of AIUDF chief Badriddin Ajmal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the 'bada bhai' (elder brother) of Ajmal.

BJP national general secretary and in-charge for the North-East Ram Madhav recently alleged that the Congress did not have the courage to face the polls alone and that it had a "nexus" with AIUDF.

The BJP has also alleged that the Congress is fielding weak candidates in Dhubri and Barpeta constituencies to ensure victory of Tarun Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi in Kaliabar constituency.

Ajmal had also recently stated that the party will field only three candidates in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Assam to stop the BJP from coming to power by dividing the "secular votes".

"This is all false propaganda. While Himanta Biswa is the 'chota bhai' of Ajmal, Modi is the 'bada bhai' of Ajmal. We will get more seats than the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls this time," Gogoi said while addressing the media on Sunday.

Gogoi said Congress President Rahul Gandhi had asked him about an alliance with the AIUDF. "I told him (Rahul Gandhi) that I want to field strong candidate against the AIUDF and defeat teh party," said Gogoi.

"We have not fielded weak candidates against AIUDF. In Dhubri as well as in Barpeta, we have fielded two legislators who are good. In the last Lok Sabha election, my son won with a margin of 90,000 votes," Gogoi said.