On B Ajmal's Proposal, Congress Says No Alliance With 'Communal Force'

At a time when All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Chief Badruddin Ajmal has publicly shown interest and urged the Congress to join hands in the fight against ruling BJP, Assam Congress has outrightly quashed it and said that there was no way of "stitching alliance" with Ajmal's party once again.

On several occasions in the past, Congress and AIUDF have allied to contest polls.

Assam Congress Chief Bhupen Kumar Borah told ANI that his party will not make an alliance with AIUDF which he termed a "communal force".

"AIUDF and BJP are both communal forces. One communal force can't survive and for their own survival, they are supporting each other internally and they are dividing people openly," Borah said.

"So, we are opposing this theory and people are supporting us. On behalf of the AICC, our general secretary Jitendra Singh declared on November 1 that there will be no alliance with AIUDF, this is the commitment of the All India Congress Committee to the people of Assam," Borah added.

However, he said Congress was open to alliance with other political parties against BJP and AIUDF.

The Assam Congress Chief also alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma controls AIUDF.

"Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma totally controls AIUDF. There are enough examples. Badruddin Ajmal himself declared that Himanta Biswa Sarma was the best Chief Minister in Assam. What's the reason, the reason is that Himanta Biswa Sarma has supported Ajmal's agar-based business in Assam," he explained his argument.

"Secondly, in the last Rajya Sabha election and Presidential Election what happened is known very well to all. AIUDF MLAs supported the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha election, the Presidential election. How can we make an understanding with AIUDF," Borah further told ANI.

Notably, some opposition legislators in Assam have cross-voted for BJP-led NDA in the recently-held Rajya Sabha and Presidential polls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)