THE BADRUDDIN Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), a pre-poll ally of the Congress within the just-concluded Assembly elections in Assam, on Friday flew 17 of its 20 contestants to Jaipur to maintain them away from any makes an attempt of horse buying and selling by the BJP.
The three-phase polls to the 126-seat Assam Assembly concluded on April 6. The outcomes are scheduled on May 2.
Of the 20 who contested the polls, those that didn’t journey to Jaipur are Sirajuddin Ajmal, Ajmal’s youthful brother and contestant from the Jamunamukh constituency, a household bastion; Champak Kalita, a normal secretary of the celebration contesting from Barkhetry constituency; and Dalgaon candidate Mujibar Rahman, who’s unwell.
“We have taken some time off. Of course, the risk of horse trading is there,” AIUDF’s influential normal secretary Aminul Islam, a candidate from Mankachar constituency in Assam, advised The Indian Express over cellphone from Jaipur.
In Jaipur, tasked with internet hosting the AIUDF leaders, Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi mentioned, “Rajasthan’s slogan is ‘Padharo Mhare Des’ (welcome to my land), the more people arrive, the better it is for Rajasthan tourism.”
Speaking to journalists exterior Fairmont resort, and flanked by Rajasthan Congress MLA from Adarsh Nagar Rafeek Khan, Joshi mentioned, “With BJP government at the Centre, there is always a possibility of horse trading. All of you know how horse trading is done, the entire nation knows and is watching.The Congress party will certainly bear their expenses. Earlier too, when our guests, our MLAs had arrived, AICC bore the costs.”
On Thursday night, Joshi had visited the Fairmont resort, and later met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot too. Rafeek Khan too met the CM. But Joshi advised The Indian Express he didn’t know in regards to the arrival of AIUDF candidates on Thursday.
Ajmal, an MP and fragrance baron, leads the AIUDF, which enjoys assist from Assam’s Bengali-origin Muslim group. The AIUDF was shaped in 2005 with the approaching collectively of at the least 10 social and non-political organisations representing minority pursuits which felt that the then Congress authorities was not doing sufficient for the group.
In the outgoing Assembly, the AIUDF holds 14 seats. It contested 19 seats this time (together with in alliance with the Congress, and is in alliance with Congress as part of the ‘Mahajot’ (grand alliance). The Congress-AIUDF alliance hopes to win a number of constituencies of western Assam the place the minority votes play an important function.
In this election marketing campaign, the AIUDF and Ajmal have been on the receiving finish of the BJP’s rhetoric. The saffron celebration has always stoked Assamese fears of unlawful immigration by saying there could be unstopped inflow from Bangladesh ought to the AIUDF come to energy in alliance with the Congress.
Yet, Congress sources say that the BJP “might try” to horse commerce if the electoral contest proves to be an in depth one on the consequence day — and therefore all “steps” have to be taken. However, the AIUDF leaders and contestants The Indian Express spoke to on Friday didn’t say that any such try has been made to date.
“We have successfully fought the divisive agendas of the BJP. We are sure that people have voted for the ‘Mahajot’. Now, we are ready to fight any kind of nefarious designs of the BJP — and we will not allow them to do in Assam what they did in Manipur or Goa,” Rhituporna Konwar, an Assam Congress spokesperson, advised The Indian Express.
Another AIUDF contestant, who requested to not be named, mentioned over cellphone from Jaipur, downplayed the specter of horse-trading at this level. “At this point, it’s more of a break for us…We arrived earlier today in Jaipur.”
“We don’t know how long they will stay, all that planning will be done from Assam. Also, we don’t know how many more will arrive… We have made the arrangements. There is corona and it shouldn’t be that someone tests Covid positive. We are testing those who have arrived,” Joshi mentioned.
