GUWAHATI: Congress leader Ripun Bora has accused the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) of acting as the “B team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, alleging that the party’s early decision to field a candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election was aimed at dividing the opposition vote.
Speaking in Guwahati, Bora alleged that AIUDF’s decision to announce its candidate at an early stage was intended to consolidate minority votes in its favour and weaken the Congress support base among minority voters.
“It is an open secret that AIUDF is the B team of BJP in Assam,” Bora said. He alleged that AIUDF had announced its candidate early at the BJP’s advice as part of a strategy to consolidate minority votes and weaken Congress among minority voters.
The remarks came after AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal announced former All Assam Minorities Students’ Union leader Rejaul Karim Sarkar as the party’s candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election.
AIUDF had earlier rejected Congress’s appeal for an alliance for the by-election. The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the sitting Congress MP resigned from Parliament and subsequently joined the BJP.
The by-election is expected to draw close attention as opposition parties seek to consolidate their respective support bases in the constituency.
