GUWAHATI, Jan 2 - Exuding confidence about Congress� victory for a fourth consecutive term in the 2016 Assembly polls, senior minister Rakibul Hussain today accused the AIUDF of being in cohorts with the BJP with an intention to polarise the political atmosphere in the State.
Speaking to the media here, Hussain alleged that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal had made certain objectionable remarks against him at a public meeting held at Samaguri on December 30 last.
�Ajmal has been making such objectionable comments for quite some time now. His comments are meant to polarise the voters. He is hand-in-glove with the BJP,� Hussain alleged.
He further said that Ajmal is following in the footsteps of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi, by inciting communal politics and in the process trying to �divide the secular voters�.
�Owaisi tried the same tactic in Bihar during the recent polls. He tried to divide the secular forces there, but all his candidates ended up forfeiting their deposits. The AIUDF MLAs have failed to deliver to the voters of their respective constituencies, and so, Ajmal is now resorting to such comments to divert attention from real issues,� Hussain said.
He added, �Ajmal had termed Narendra Modi as his bada bhai and Sushma Swaraj as his chhoti behen� He is working at the behest of the BJP. But people of Assam know the facts. We have worked for the people. We will form the Government again and Tarun Gogoi will remain the Chief Minister.�
Asked if the Congress is worried about further erosion of its support base among the minorities, Hussain said, �It is the AIUDF which is now talking about alliance with us. If Ajmal is so confident about his prospects, why is he talking of an alliance? We will soon be holding meetings in constituencies having AIUDF MLAs. Then you will see the number of crowds we attract as compared to what AIUDF is able to draw to their rallies.�
Asked how his comments against Ajmal might fare at a time when Chief Minister Gogoi has repeatedly called for a bujabuji (understanding) among non-BJP parties, Hussain said he is not speaking against any party but only asking the AIUDF supremo to exercise restraint in the language used by him.
To a question whether the Congress considers the BJP or the AIUDF as its main rival during the forthcoming polls, Hussain said, �Congress is the only party which has a base in all the 126 constituencies of Assam. Our main rival varies from one constituency to another. But if you ask any other party, they will say that the Congress is their main rival. This proves our strength.�
Power supply: There will be no more power tariff hike this financial year, said Hussain, who also holds the Power portfolio. He said rollout of the uninterrupted 24x7 power supply across the State will begin zone-wise very soon. A total of seven zones have been formed covering all the districts.
Hussain said all arrangements have been put in place to bring power from �various sources� to ensure success of the 24x7 supply scheme.
