GUWAHATI, March 8: The Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which released its first list of 16 candidates for the ensuing Assam Assembly elections on Sunday night, will be engaged in a “friendly fight” with the Congress in five constituencies.
The five constituencies, all minority-dominated seats, include Sarukhetri, Jaleswar, Dalgaon, Chenga and Baghbar. The candidates fielded are Minakshi Rahman (Sarukhetri); Rafiqul Islam (Jaleswar); Mujibur Rahman (Dalgaon); Ashraful Hussain (Chenga) and Rajib Ahmed (Baghbar).
Ahmed will have a “friendly contest” for the Baghbar seat against Congress’ Sherman Ali Ahmed, who was earlier with AIUDF.
Of the five seats, four have sitting MLAs from the Congress.
The Opposition Congress along with AIUDF and five other parties (including BPF), had forged a ‘grand alliance’ (Mahajot) ahead of the three-phase Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, the party has replaced sitting MLA, Sahab Uddin Ahmed with Rafiqul Islam in Jaleswar and fielded Foni Talukdar in place of MLA, Abul Kalam Azad in Bhawanipur.
On the other hand the party supremo’s brother, Sirajuddin Ajmal will contest from Jamunamukh Assembly constituency while sitting MLAs Hafiz Bashir Ahmed will contest from Bilasipara West; Nazrul Haque from Dhubri, Nizanur Rahman from Gauripur, Alhaj Aminul Islam from Dhing, Hafiz Rafiqul Islam from Jonia, Nizamuddin Choudhury from Algapur and Sujam Uddin Laskar from Katlicherra.
AIUDF general secretary (organisation), Aminul Islam will contest from Mankachar constituency.
The Ajmal-led party enjoys a massive support base among the Bengali-origin Muslims of Assam. The party had bagged 13 seats in the 2016 Assembly elections.
