GUWAHATI: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) legislature party leader Hafiz Bashir Ahmed in a statement said that the Congress' unilateral decision to remove the party from the alliance was "unfortunate".
After much drama, the Congress, which has been facing repeated defeats since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, finally cut ties with the AIUDF, one of its allies in the last Assam assembly elections 2021.
The Assam Congress leadership, expressing displeasure over continuous praise of the BJP and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma by some AIUDF's MLAs in the recent days, resolved to shed ties with the alliance partner. The Congress and five other parties including the AIUDF formed a grand alliance known as Mahajot to take the BJP-led Mitrajot in the last assembly elections.
"After a long and detailed discussion, we have resolved to cut ties with the AIDUF. We have seen that some AIUDF MLAs unnecessarily heaped praises on the Chief Minister that dented our image before the people. So, we have decided to the cut ties with them," said MLA and former Minister Rockybool Hussain, who is also a senior leader of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). Hussain also said that the APCC has sent its proposal to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) suggesting cutting ties with the Badaruddin Ajmal-led party.
Meanwhile, the AIDUF mocked Congress for its decision to cut bonds with the party saying that the Grand Old Party will win all the assembly seats which will go to bypolls shortly. Reacting to the development, a senior AIUDF leader said, " We think that the Congress has taken the decision for their good. We hope they will win all the assembly seats where bypoll will be held."
On the other hand, setting all speculations aside, Bhawanipur AIUDF MLA Phani Talukdar will formally join the BJP tomorrow, September 1, said the saffron party's Assam president Bhabesh Kalita.
The state BJP president claimed that Talukdar, who won the last Assam assembly election 2021 as a Congress-led Mahajot candidate defeating BJP-led alliance candidate, has prepared to switch sides.
Talukdar will be the first AIUDF MLA who is learned to quit the party. Earlier, two Assam Congress MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi and Sushanta Borgohain quit the party and joined the ruling party denting the Opposition's strength.
MLA Talukdar's defection from the AIUDF to the BJP is seen as one more major setback to the Opposition's camp. Meanwhile, the BJP is preparing itself to welcome Talukdar. Sources said that the AIUDF turncoat may contest byelections in the BJP's ticket.
"We are ready to welcome him. Anyone who wishes to work for our Sanatani culture will be welcomed to our party," added a ruling party's source.
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