2 months ago
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HOJAI
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has been a minority-based governmental unit successful Assam since its commencement successful October 2005 aft the Supreme Court of India scrapped an allegedly pro-immigrant law. The Congress saw the enactment arsenic its premier adversary successful the State for a decennary earlier the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) utilized it arsenic a template for a grim aboriginal wherever alleged ‘Miya Muslims’ — a pejorative word for Bengali-speaking migrants successful Assam — predominate the indigenous communities. Perfume baron Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal believes his enactment continues to beryllium applicable successful Assam’s polarised governmental landscape, dissimilar its predecessor, the United Minorities Front (UMF), which ran retired of steam successful 20 years. Excerpts from an interview:
Md Badruddin Ajmal during his run for the AIDUF.
Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi famously asked, ‘Who is Ajmal?’, erstwhile the AIUDF started its canvass travel successful 2006. Who oregon what is Badruddin Ajmal today?
Tarun Gogoi astir apt said that portion relishing the Alphonso mangoes I utilized to acquisition him each twelvemonth successful crates. I utilized to beryllium fixed a red-carpet invited due to the fact that his Congress authorities needed the votes of Bengali Muslims. He saw maine arsenic a menace arsenic soon arsenic I entered authorities and said helium would decorativeness maine disconnected successful six months, similar erstwhile Congress Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia ended the UMF (formed successful 1985 erstwhile the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation ended). I survived, and AIUDF became the second-largest enactment successful 2011. I americium inactive the aforesaid Badruddin Ajmal, but rival parties usage my sanction and look to onslaught fearfulness among the voters.
Has the AIUDF tacitly helped the BJP to extremity 15 years of Congress reign successful Assam, arsenic it has been alleged?
In the 2011 election, we won 18 seats, 10 much than our tally successful 2006, portion the Congress won 78 seats, 25 much than successful the erstwhile election. This proved that the Congress did not suffer crushed due to the fact that of us, though we dented their number enactment base. The Congress mislaid powerfulness due to the fact that it created a foothold for the BJP. Had Tarun Gogoi not wanted to found his lad [Gaurav Gogoi] arsenic the Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who claimed the enactment of 56 MLAs, would not person revolted and switched to the BJP. Tarun Gogoi and Rahul Gandhi are liable for handing Assam to the BJP connected a platter. Otherwise, the BJP’s tally would not person jumped from 5 successful 2011 to 60 successful 2016. Congress could person extended its tally if it had fixed a secular connection by befriending us. We became allies for the 2021 polls, but the deficiency of respect made america portion ways.
The BJP uses your sanction to task a aboriginal wherever the alleged Miyas volition rule. How bash you feel?
Himanta Biswa Sarma is a khiladi (player). He amplified the fearfulness that the Congress created by projecting me arsenic the force of the radical of Assam. Himanta predicts doomsday by telling radical that the Ajmal tsunami volition expanse them away. The BJP, anyway, plays the Hindu paper successful a highly polarised atmosphere. We privation Himanta Biswa Sarma thrown retired of power, but we bash not privation the Congress to beryllium the alternative. I americium with Rahul Gandhi astatine the nationalist level, not with the Congress successful Assam.
Is AIUDF inactive applicable aft failing to clasp its 3 Lok Sabha seats successful 2024 and a fewer MLAs later?
We are assured of maintaining our presumption astatine least. [The AIUDF won 16 seats successful 2021.] I cannot accidental that of the Congress oregon its allies. The Congress is the B-team of the BJP, and the Chief Minister said that helium planted 32 Congress candidates. Himanta is controlling the Congress and its ally, the Raijor Dal, whose president helped the BJP decision the Congress successful 14 constituencies successful 2021. The result of this predetermination tin frankincense beryllium predicted.
