GUWAHATI, Oct 9 - After having given its consent to be part of the proposed �grand alliance�, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is now working to identify the constituencies from which it will stake claim to field candidates in next year�s Assembly elections.
�While we have accepted the Congress party�s call for an anti-BJP alliance, so far talks on seat-sharing have not begun. Those negotiations will come at a later stage. For the time being, we are focusing on undertaking certain organisational activities to get our party battle-ready for the elections. One of the tasks is to identify the constituencies to which we may lay claim when formal discussions on seat-sharing with the Congress and other parties of the grand alliance commence,� a senior AIUDF office-bearer told this newspaper on Friday.
AIUDF�s district committees have sent reports about various constituencies falling under their respective jurisdiction and some lists have been prepared based on data received from the district units.
�Firstly, there are the 14 constituencies where we have incumbent legislators. Secondly, there are some seats where we were runner-up in the last Assembly polls. Then there are seats which we had won in previous elections. Besides, we have to also take into account the population and demographic pattern of each constituency, besides also considering our organisational base and membership strength in a particular seat. All these will have to be taken into account before we can stake our claim to any particular constituency. We are going through those details now. During our recent core committee meeting we discussed the reports and suggestions sent by the district units,� said the AIUDF leader.
AIUDF will contest fewer seats in 2021 compared to previous Assembly polls.
�There was no alliance in 2016, or in 2011 and 2006 for that matter. Therefore, we were at liberty to contest as many seats as we thought prudent during those elections. This time there will be an alliance. So the number of seats from which our party will field its own candidates will definitely be less,� said the AIUDF source.
In 2016, the AIUDF had contested from 74 constituencies and emerged victorious in 13. It later added another seat to its kitty during a by-election.
The party is also planning to hold a series of public meetings across the State once the existing COVID-19 related protocol is relaxed.
�We have also started activating our organisation at various levels. There are some gaps which need filling up. At some places our party�s organisation may need some changes, while at some other places the local committees of the youth wing or the women�s wing or some other affiliated body may not have been formed. We have started work to rectify the shortcomings and make the party machinery fully active,� the AIUDF leader added.
