AIUDF to renominate sitting MLAs; Ajmal likely to contest 2026 polls

GUWAHATI, Jan 13: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is likely to renominate most of its incumbent legislators in the 2026 Assembly elections, even as the party will limit its electoral fight to constituencies having a substantial number of electors from the Muslim community.

The party’s supremo, Badruddin Ajmal, is also expected to jump into the fray in the Assembly polls despite the fact that the AIUDF recently announced his candidature for a forthcoming Rajya Sabha vacancy from the State.

AIUDF general secretary Haidor Hussain Bora told The Assam Tribune that the party will field candidates primarily from its traditional bastions in the Barak Valley, central Assam, and Lower Assam, besides the Ranganadi and Nowboicha seats in the North Bank.

“We will field nominees in the 22 Muslim-dominated seats, in addition to some other constituencies having a significant number of voters belonging to the minority community, rather than wasting our effort and resources in places where our base is weak,” Bora said.

The AIUDF has started seeking applications from ticket aspirants. Bora said that most of the sitting AIUDF legislators, barring those suspended for alleged ‘anti-party’ activities, are likely to secure tickets once again.

“However, following delimitation, the seats of some MLAs have changed. That will be taken into consideration. We also have multiple aspirants in several constituencies. Feedback from party workers at the ground level will be factored in while deciding candidatures,” he said.

The party’s focus is on regaining its old support base in the minority-dominated constituencies after the debacle it suffered in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and fielding Ajmal in the Assembly elections is a part of that strategy.

While Ajmal’s candidature for the Rajya Sabha polls has been announced, the existing numbers in the Assam Legislative Assembly are stacked against him. In case Ajmal does not make it to the Rajya Sabha then the prospects of him contesting the Assembly polls are very high.

“Our party members want Ajmal to enter the fray in the Assembly elections. The workers have asked him to contest from the Binnakandi constituency. It is the desire of the party workers to see our leader in the Assembly. Ajmal contesting the polls will provide a big boost to our party. It will show that the chief is leading from the front. And not only Binnakandi, there are also demands from party workers for our supremo to contest from seats like Chamaria and Birsing Jarua,” Bora added.

He said that a final decision in this regard will be taken by Ajmal himself.

Ajmal, who was the MP from the Dhubri HPC for three consecutive terms, lost the last Lok Sabha polls. The AIUDF also drew a blank in the 2024 General Elections and suffered a big erosion of its traditional support base among the Bengali-speaking Muslim community, which it now wants to regain as the Assembly polls approach.

The AIUDF had earlier declared its intention to contest only around 30-32 seats in the 2026 elections.

“Our priority is preventing fragmentation of the anti-BJP votes. That is why we will field candidates only in select constituencies. In the remaining seats, the Congress and the other Opposition parties can take on the NDA. Although the Congress-led bloc has refused to include us in their grouping, we still want to see the BJP-led NDA defeated in the elections,” Bora said.

The AIUDF’s target is to secure at least 25 seats this time, Bora added. The party had won 10 seats in the 2006 Assembly polls, 18 in 2011, 13 in 2016, and 16 in 2021.

Asked if the AIUDF will extend direct support to the Congress and Opposition parties in places where it will not be in the fray, Bora said that it will be decided later by the party’s leadership.