No permutation combination seems to be working for the Indian National Congress. After Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Congress can be seen limping in the state of Assam where it witnessed an embarrassing loss in the recent state assembly elections.
Congress on Monday decided to sever ties with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Badruddin Ajmal. The two are part of the grand alliance of 10 parties (Mahajot) formed before the assembly polls in the state to take on the Bhartiya Janta Party.
Yesterday, Assam PCC took decision to seek the ouster of AlUDF from the grand alliance. APCC also discussed about the party alliance with BPF & will call upon the BPF to clear its stand regarding grand alliance publicly or in writing. pic.twitter.com/uhjRB5JEhI
— Assam Congress (@INCAssam) August 31, 2021
The decision was taken during the core committee meeting of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) held in Guwahati after it noticed some members of AIUDF praising the BJP. “The committee observed that ‘Mahajot’ alliance partner AIUDF’s behaviour and attitude in relation to the Bharatiya Janata Party has baffled Congress party members,” read the resolution passed in the meeting.
“The AIUDF leadership’s and senior members’ continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP and the chief minister has affected public perception of Congress party,” it read further.
Throwing AIUDF out of the alliance, the resolution concluded, “The core committee members of the APCC unanimously decided that the AIUDF can no longer remain an alliance partner of ‘mahajot’ and in this regard will send intimation to All India Congress Committee (AICC).”
The decision has come just ahead of the by-poll elections and a day after AIUDF MLA Phanidhar Talukdar resigned from the party and announced that he will soon join the BJP.
As per reports, the Congress party also announced that they will be parting ways with the Bodoland people’s Front (BPF) as some BPF leaders are unwilling to continue the alliance.
AIUDF calls the decision a ‘historic blunder’
Reacting to the eviction, MLA and organising sectary of the AIUDF Md Aminul Islam said, “The Congress is free to make decisions regarding their party, but we see their decision to sever ties with us as a historical blunder. We had allied with Congress to oppose BJP’s communal agenda in the assembly polls.”
Slamming the Sonia Gandhi-led party further, Islam said, “Congress can’t accuse us of having nexus with the BJP. Instead, today’s decision was the outcome of pro-BJP elements within Congress.”
Islam alleged that this was a plot by the BJP to create cracks in the Mahajot. “It was a BJP strategy to use Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi to break our alliance. They become successful in that and Congress was the loser,” said the AIUDF MLA.
It is notable here that the Congress-led Mahajot, formed with 10 parties ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, had failed, winning only 50 of the 126 seats.
BPF unwilling to be a part of grand alliance
INC Assam has asked Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) to clear its stand on the alliance publicly after it expressed its unwillingness to be a part of the Mahajot.
Reportedly, BPF is in talks with the BJP to form an alliance. The same was confirmed by state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita who said that BPF had unofficial talks with the party. However, no conclusive decision has been taken yet.
