From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: There are ripples within the ruling Congress in Assam as the party is moving towards an alliance with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by the perfume mogul Badruddin Ajmal as per the ‘wishes of Congress high command’.
The AIUDF is a congregation of over a dozen religious minority groups that were brought under one platform by Ajmal in 2006 to serve the interests of mainly the religious minority community in Assam. Since then the party has been making inroad into the Congress’ traditional vote bank among religious minority community in the State.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has revealed that though he has been opposing any tie-up with the AIUDF in Assam, the stage was now set for a tie-up with the party as it was desired by Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
All the 18 AIUDF MLAs met Gogoi on Tuesday raising many eyebrows in Congress ranks.
The AIUDF’s splendid performance in 2011 Assembly election which saw the party emerging as the main opposition in the House and its starling performance in the just held panchayat election by making dent into Congress’ vote base in religious minority dominant areas have probably compelled the Congress high command to have a tie up with the party.
The AIUDF lone MP and its president Badruddin Ajmal has been looking forward to have an alliance with Congress but it could not materialise because of earlier opposition from Gogoi.