Ajmal’s ‘animosity’ towards Congress makes BJP’s life easier in Assam

By Tanuj Dhar

Guwahati, Nov 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) At a time when the key players in national politics are talking about Opposition unity to combat the BJP, the scenario in Assam is the opposite with two main BJP rivals -- the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) -- attacking each other almost daily.

Barely a year and a half ago, Congress and AIUDF forged a grand alliance and fought the last year's assembly election together. But, after the loss in the election, Congress broke away with the AIUDF. Since then, the relationship between the two parties has become bitter which has reached its lowest point in the past week.

Congress leaders have been doing the 'Assam Jodo' since November 1 and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal has heavily 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 a few leaders from Congress who are on the payroll of Sarma and even they have done a few foreign tours taking money from the Chief Minister."

He further attacked Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah terming him as an 'incapable' leader to lead the party in the state and said he has no importance before the Central leadership.

"This is evident from the ongoing 'Assam Jodo' where no prominent national leaders of the party were present though Borah earlier claimed that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will attend the yatra," Ajmal added.

Obviously, Ajmal's statements have not gone down well with the Congress leaders and they have launched a sharp attack on him. Bhupen Borah said that Ajmal has a secret 'alliance' with the BJP and as a part of that he has been deliberately saying harsh things against the Congress leaders.

He moreover said that Congress will never forge an alliance with Ajmal's party in the future.

Meanwhile, Badruddin Ajmal has clearly warned that Congress can not win a single seat in the next Lok Sabha election without the support of AIUDF. He believes that in last year's Assembly election, his party delivered a win for Congress on at least a dozen of seats. Ajmal claimed, "We could win more seats but we chose to support them (Congress)."

There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam and leaving a few in the upper Assam and Bodoland area, the Muslim vote is a key factor. Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi has won from Kaliabor and Pradyut Bordoloi -- another Congress MP, could win Nagaon Lok Sabha seat last time as there were no AIUDF candidates at these two places.

This time, the AIUDF is planning to field candidates there and if it happens so, Congress may end up losing both seats. Another Congress MP Abdul Khaleque, who won from Barpeta in the 2019 general election, may find it very difficult if Ajmal resorts to the same tactics there.

On the other hand, AIUDF is currently having only one MP in Lok Sabha - Badruddin Ajmal and he will anyway retain his Dhubri seat irrespective of whether Congress fields a candidate there or not.

So, it is the Congress party that is predicted to lose big in the fight of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP has been already on a mission to colour Assam with saffron in the next Lok Sabha election with an aim to win 12 out of 14 seats. Though BJP's ministers and MLAs have jumped into the criticism of Ajmal on his recent remarks, Congress has alleged that this is a part of the strategy of Chief Minister Sarma and AIUDF.

Source: IANS