APCC rebuffs Ajmal proposal

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 25: Upbeat with its win in three bi-polls at panchayat levels in the State recently, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has spelt it out in no uncertain terms that the Congress is in no way going for any electoral alliance with the AIUDF for the 2016 Assembly elections.

Talking to newsmen in the city today, APCC secretary Imdad Hussain said: “In no way we’re going for any electoral alliance with the AIUDF. In three recent bi-polls in the State we have been able to wrest three seats from the AIUDF at panchayat and zila parishad-level polls. This shows that the people have realized the futility to vote for the AIUDF.”

In Baroigram Zila Parisahd bi-polls in Dakshin Karimganj LAC Congress candidate Abu Bakkar Siddique wrested the seat from the rival AIUDF candidate by a margin of 8,000 votes, in the GP bi-polls at Hazarihat Gaonchayat in South Salmara LAC the Congress candidate Aminul Haque wrested the seat from his rival AIUDF candidate, and in  Lumding Anchalik Parishad bi-polls Congress candidate Jahara Begum wrested the seat from her AIUDF rival candidate.

Hussain said: “This wins were despite the fact that as many as nine AIUDF MLAs were on campaigning for the party candidates against the local Congress leaders. This shows that the minority people have lost their faith on the AIUDF that deceived them on many ways. This time around, if the party fights the Assembly elections, it won’t get more than ten seats.”

It is worth mentioning here that over the past few days, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal was very optimistic of a grand alliance involving the Congress, the AIUDF and the AGP so as to defeat the BJP in the 2016 Assembly elections in the State. However, today’s statement from the Assam PCC sounds like a dampener for the proposed grand alliance.