Guwahati, Aug 25 — Senior Congress leader, Ripun Bora, has accused the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) of working as the 'B team' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, alleging that the party’s decision to name its candidate early for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bye-election, was aimed at splitting the Opposition vote and weakening the Congress.
Bora alleged that AIUDF’s decision to announce its candidate well ahead of the bypoll was part of a larger strategy allegedly designed to consolidate minority votes in favour of the regional party and dent the Congress’ traditional support base among minority voters.
“It is an open secret that AIUDF is the B team of BJP in Assam. At the advice of BJP, the AIUDF has declared the candidate so early. It is a part of their strategy just to consolidate the minority votes in favour of AIUDF and break the Congress support base among the minority people,” Bora said while speaking in Guwahati on Tuesday.
His remarks came after AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal announced former All Assam Minorities Students’ Union leader Rejaul Karim Sarkar as the party’s candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bye-election.
The AIUDF has also rejected the Congress’ appeal for an alliance for the bypoll, setting the stage for a contest in which Opposition votes could be divided between the two parties.
The Nagaon seat fell vacant after the sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from Parliament and subsequently joined the BJP.
The upcoming bye-election has, therefore, emerged as an important political battle in Assam, with the BJP seeking to consolidate its position and Opposition parties attempting to retain their respective voter bases.
Bora’s allegation comes against the backdrop of growing political differences between the Congress and AIUDF in Assam, particularly over the distribution and consolidation of minority votes.
With the AIUDF choosing to contest separately, the Congress is now expected to intensify its campaign against the party, while the BJP could potentially benefit from a fragmented Opposition vote in the constituency.
The Nagaon bypoll is likely to be closely watched as a test of Opposition unity and the electoral impact of the Congress-AIUDF divide in Assam.