Friend or foe? AIUDF caught between Congress alliance hopes & sharp criticism
As elections near, AIUDF talks opposition unity while launching scathing attacks on Congress & potential allies
File Image of AIUDF president Maulana Badruddin Ajmal (Photo: @BadruddinAjmal/x)
Guwahati, Jan 18: With the Assam Assembly elections just days away, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) appears divided over its electoral strategy, oscillating between calls for opposition unity and sharp attacks on potential allies.
AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, on Sunday, said his party remained open to an alliance with the Congress, arguing that opposition unity was essential to defeat the BJP in Assam.
At the same time, he launched a scathing attack on the Congress over its alleged silence on eviction drives in the state.
“We are looking to fight from 30 to 35 seats in the coming Assembly elections. If a party like the Congress comes forward with an alliance offer, we will 100% think about it. There is only one formula to defeat the BJP, and that is unity,” Ajmal told the press.
However, even as he spoke of a possible tie-up, Ajmal sharply criticised the Congress for what he described as political compulsions that prevented its leaders from opposing eviction drives.
“Did even one Congress leader raise their voice against eviction? Muslims can die, but they need votes from them. One Congress leader even admitted they are restricted by orders from above,” he alleged.
Ajmal also accused the Congress of deliberately keeping Muslims uneducated for decades to protect its political interests.
“Muslims were forced to not read or write. That condition was created by the Congress itself. If Muslims get educated, 70 years of Congress rule will end,” he claimed.
In the same breath, the AIUDF chief trained his guns on Raijor Dal leader and Asom Sonmilito Morcha ally Akhil Gogoi, using strong language and predicting political irrelevance for him and his party.
“Akhil Gogoi is insane. He and his party will see their end this time,” Ajmal said.
Responding to questions on the term “jihad”, frequently invoked in political discourse, Ajmal sought to clarify its religious meaning, claiming it had been deliberately misrepresented.
“Jihad is a sacred word. The greatest jihad is the fight within oneself to overcome wrong desires and remain morally upright. Lesser jihad refers to standing against oppression. It has been made to look bad intentionally,” he said.
Ajmal’s remarks come days after the AIUDF formally announced him as its Rajya Sabha candidate, for which the party is seeking Congress support.
The Congress, however, has categorically ruled out any alliance with the AIUDF. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi reiterated on Sunday that there would be no tie-up ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Speaking during a campaign trail in Hajo and Sualkuchi, Gogoi said, “I have said this earlier and I am reiterating it again today; there will be no coalition between the Congress and AIUDF,” he said.
Earlier, on December 28, 2025, Gogoi had announced that the Congress would contest more than 100 seats in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, asserting that there was “zero per cent chance” of any alliance with the AIUDF.