The Congress party’s wipe-out in the recently held elections to the autonomous council of the Bodo Territorial Region (BTR) in Assam may prove to be a hindrance to a possible tie-up with Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) for the Assam Assembly elections scheduled around April-May 2021, a party source said on Tuesday.
The source quoted above said party general secretary Bhanwar Jitendra Singh is taking feedback from party leaders informally on the proposed alliance with the AIUDF in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
After the Bodo Territorial Council election results, many in the Congress are now wary of an open alliance as they fear that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will polarise the electorate.
Elections to the 40-member council, spread over four districts and 12 Assembly segments in the Bodo-tribe dominated region were being dubbed as a “mini-Assembly elections”.
Though the Congress high command is yet to take a call on tying up with the AIUDF for the Assembly elections, the party’s local leadership has had a tactical understanding with Mr. Ajmal’s party in the BTR elections. The results proved to be disastrous for both the parties, with the Congress winning one seat and the AIUDF drawing a blank.
The lone Congress council member also defected to the BJP within 24 hours of the results.
The setback has now prompted the anti-alliance section within the Congress to scale up their opposition to any tie-up with Mr. Ajmal’s outfit for next year’s elections.
The majority of the leaders from Upper Assam — one of the most politically crucial regions — now don’t want a formal alliance, with a legislator from the region, Rupjyoti Kurmi, blaming the tie-up with the AIUDF as being responsible for the Congress’ washout.
While the MLA is known to be a maverick in political circles, his statements reflect the mood within a large section of the party. However, those who favour a tie-up argue that the Congress improved its performance in the BTR because of the tie-up as it had won one seat and came close in five other seats.
The party is deeply divided over the issue of an alliance with Mr. Ajmal and on November 30, it came out in the open at a virtual meeting of Assam leaders with former party chief Rahul Gandhi.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Bhupen Bora took on Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora for making public statements on the Congress-AIUDF alliance without its finalisation by the party high command.
Mr. Gandhi then asked the State leaders to speak in one voice on all important political issues and “leave the question of alliance to the central leadership of the party”.
