Badruddin Ajmal plays Rabid Muslim card

Panchayat polls

Special Correspondent

Silchar: With just two days left for the panchayat polls in Barak Valley, the main contenders in the fray, BJP, Congress and AIUDF, have taken the campaign to its highest zenith. Quite significantly, unlike the personal attack and use of unparliamentary jibs at one another as seen in the national politics centring round the assembly polls in 5 states, the leaders of the political parties in Barak Valley have exercised the best of decorum and decency. They have been concentrating on the planks of development, transparency and the performance of their candidates.

AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal, the star campaigner, has been addressing rallies after rallies across Barak Valley to whip up public support for his party. He has been hitting out both at BJP and Congress, the former, as he said, ‘is a bête noir of Muslims’ since the saffron party wants them to be sent back to Pakistan lock, stock and barrel. Interestingly, he has not mentioned Bangladesh. He has been equally harsh on Congress, calling it the ‘exploiter of Muslims for the sake of vote bank’. This single factor paved way for the emergence of AIUDF and it has truly emerged as the saviour of Muslims.

The turn out of the workers and supporters at each and every election rally in an impressive number cannot but be the cause of encouragement for Badruddin Ajmal. From his demagoguery, it has been clear that by harping on the safety and security of his own people, he has been playing the ‘communal card’. This he has been doing discreetly and wisely to bring into the fold of AIUDF the minority votes which are showing the tendency to reverse back to Congress. Without any contradiction, the sliding down in the support of Muslim votes is attributed to their switching over to Congress. But, of late, the reports of the Muslims going back to Congress have caused consternation in Ajmal camp.

AIUDF supremo keeping in mind the growing clout of AGP in its strong hold of Algapur built up by late Saidul Alam Choudhury, a cabinet minister in the ministry of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, has thrown all his flanks to keep the support base unerroded. It is in this constituency of Hailakandi district, the pattern of challenge has veered around Congress, AGP and AIUDF, pushing the saffron party to the level of inconsequence. In fact, in the face of the stiff challenge of Ajmal and Congress, the question cropping up, can AGP save its face in the lone Algapur seats of GPs and ZPCs?

Badruddin Ajmal during his election campaign and rally has demonstrated his ability to take on his opponents and quite like a seasoned politician he uses the choicest of diatribes to strike at them. People are fed up and disillusioned with the corruptions of Congress and challenges the crowd to show if any AIUDF members in panchayat system elected during the last polls have been involved in corrupt practices. From all accounts, AIUDF supremo has been more critical of Congress. He recounted the massacre of Nellie, killings at Gohpur and the riots of BTAD and said Congress never tried to set up any inquiry commission for unearthing the causes behind them.

It was only after the formation of AIUDF that for the first time a high level investigation was conducted into the riots of BTAD which resulted in bringing justice to the victims. He wanted to prove that no other party than AIUDF can be a party of the Muslims in the real sense of the term and not just for the sake of securing their votes. His commitment is to stand by the brothers and sisters of his community in all situations and circumstances. Badruddin Ajmal has been hopping around the valley by a helicopter. It is difficult to say the final count in favour of his party, but that it is locked in tough battle with BJP and Congress is a fact.

Also read: Cachar news