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No post-poll tie-up with BJP, asserts AIUDF

By PRANJAL BHUYAN

GUWAHATI, April 23 - Categorically rejecting any possibility of a tie-up with the BJP after the results of the Assembly polls are out on May 19, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has said that it will prefer to sit in the opposition rather than enter into a relationship with the saffron party.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, senior AIUDF leaders said that the party is confident of winning at least 22-24 seats in the polls and will formulate its strategy only after the results are out on the counting day.

�If necessary, we will sit in the opposition but we will not have a post-poll alliance with the BJP to help the saffron outfit to form government in Assam. Look at the present condition of the People�s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu & Kashmir after it allied with the BJP. Our main support base is among the religious minorities and aligning with the BJP will severely affect our base. We are not going to take the risk,� a senior AIUDF office-bearer told this newspaper.

He added, �Any decision regarding the strategy of our party will be formulated only after the results are out and all our new MLAs and other senior leaders will then sit together and decide on the future course of action. The very fact that we formed an alliance with anti-BJP forces like the RJD and the JD (U) proves that we are committed to maintaining our stand against the BJP.�

The AIUDF leaders said that the party is confident of doing better in the polls as compared to the previous two Assembly elections of 2006 and 2011.

�We are confident of winning at least 22-24 seats. In some others, we are in serious contest with other parties. So, it will not be surprising if we even reach the figure of 30 seats,� said a leader.

The AIUDF has contested from 69 constituencies in 2006 and won 10 seats and emerged as the runner-up in 11 others. In the 2011 polls, the party had fielded candidates in 76 constituencies and won from 18 and was in the second position in 14 other constituencies.

This time, the party contested 71 seats and also left some others to its allies,

�In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, we were ahead of other parties in 24 Assembly segments, while the Congress was in the top position only in 23 Assembly segments. So, our confidence of doing good is not without basis as election after election our performance has only got better,� claimed the leader.

Asked about reports that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal met senior BJP leaders in New Delhi last week, he said, �Ajmal has been in Mecca in Saudi Arabia since last week.�

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