Amid the discussion of the grand alliance of the opposition parties in Assam for the assembly polls next year, AIUDF said that they are yet to decide on the seat sharing.
AIUDF General Secretary Aminul Islam refuted media reports that his party will contest in 30 seats after allying with Congress.
“The seat sharing will be decided in our steering committee meeting of the party. We went to former chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s residence to meet and welcome their decision for alliance, as per the direction of our party chief Badruddin Ajmal,” Islam said.
He further said that their earlier decision of the steering committee was to continue ally with democratic and secular parties for the interest of the people of Assam and as per that they have been working.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) said that they are getting huge response on their proposal of the grand alliance with the anti-BJP parties.
“We have got a very positive response to our concept of grand alliance. So far, the AIUDF has given consent. The Left parties have agreed to be part and said the final decision will be announced after their internal discussion. We also spoke to the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS). They said that once their party is formed, they will announce. Initially, they wanted to announce it after Akhil Gogoi’s release, but as it is uncertain, they will finalise it once the party is formed,” APCC President Ripun Bora was quoted as saying by PTI.
Senior journalist and Rajya Sabha member Ajit Bhuyan, who has floated a new regional party ‘Anchalik Gana Morcha’ (AGM), will also be a part of it.
However, the political forum to be floated by the students’ bodies All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) will not be a part of the grand alliance.
The election to the 126-member Assam Assembly is likely in March-April next year. The 2016 elections gave a fractured mandate and no party had an absolute majority in the current assembly.
The BJP is the single largest party with 60 MLAs, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BPF have 14 and 12 lawmakers, respectively. The ruling coalition also has the support of an Independent MLA. The opposition Congress has 23 MLAs, while the AIUDF has 14 members.
