Guwahati, Feb 4: Opposition party, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has decided to field a candidate from the party for one of the two seats in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
In this regard, the Badruddin Ajmal-led party formed a five-member committee to take the discussions with other Opposition parties, in regard to candidature, forward.
The core committee of AIUDF met here on Thursday night and decided to request the principal Opposition party in the state, Congress, to support its (AIUDF) candidate for one of the two seats in the Rajya Sabha elections which are scheduled to be held in March.
“For the past 17 years, we have been supporting candidates from other parties in Rajya Sabha elections. This time, we have put up a demand that the other Opposition parties should support our candidate,” AIUDF MLA from Mankachar, Aminul Islam told mediapersons after the meeting.
Echoing Islam, AIUDF general secretary and MLA Karimuddin Barbhuyan said the party has a genuine reason in regard to candidature as “AIUDF has always been sacrificing by not fielding any candidate in the past Rajya Sabha polls. Besides, the Congress has greater numbers in the Assembly and the onus is now on it to support our candidate.”
Two seats of Rajya Sabha in Assam will fall vacant once the terms of Congress MPs, Ranee Narah and Ripun Bora, are completed on April 22, 2022.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) had recently constituted a seven-member committee to discuss with anti-BJP Opposition parties and finalise candidates for the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, APCC working president Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha informed that the party has sent a panel of three candidates to the high command after a preliminary meeting
On the other hand, Congress MLA from Rupahihat, Nurul Huda said the final decision in regard to candidates would be taken after discussions with other Opposition parties.
“We want to discuss the matter of candidature for the Rajya Sabha polls together with other parties and field a common candidate so that there is no vote division,” Huda said.
