AIUDF chief Ajmal for grand alliance for Assam polls

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posted on 8 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal (L) will hold a meeting with JD-U President Sharad Yadav to explore the possibility of forming an alliance in Assam.

New Delhi: An anti-BJP, anti-Congress grand alliance may come up in Assam with MP Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF taking the initiative to join hands with AGP, JD-U and Trinamool Congress for the coming assembly polls.

The 65-year-old AIUDF leader said he will hold a meeting with JD-U President Sharad Yadav next week to explore the possibility of forming the alliance in Assam.

"I have already spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and she has shown interest for an alliance with us. She told me that TMC will fight some seats in Assam and in return she will give our party some seats in West Bengal. I will again meet her soon," he said.

Ajmal said he had a meeting with AGP too for the alliance and was awaiting for its response.

He had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently.

A perfume baron, Ajmal said AIUDF is anti-BJP and anti-Congress but open for an alliance with Congress after the elections.

AIUDF, which has significant base in Assam's Muslim-dominated districts, however, ruled out any pre-poll alliance with Congress for the assembly elections but said it is open to joining hands with all secular parties after the polls.

"There is no question of any alliance with Congress. If we join hands with Congress, the Hindu votes will be polarised and that will benefit BJP. We can't allow this to happen," the Lok Sabha MP said here.

Elections to the 126-member assembly in Assam, which has nearly 35 per cent Muslim population, are scheduled to be held in April-May 2016. AIUDF currently has 18 MLAs in Assam and 3 Lok Sabha members, including Ajmal.

"I can't say what will happen after the elections. But right now we are anti-Congress. I am clear about that," he said when asked the possibility of an AIUDF-Congress alliance.

He also said no one from the All India Congress Committee has approached him for any tie-up.

Ajmal said AIUDF is planning to field 70-80 candidates in the polls and felt that there is a strong possibility of a 'Third Front government' coming to power in Dispur.