The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) said the distance between the party and Congress was narrowing.
“The AIUDF is against the BJP’s politics of division and polarisation. To counter this, the party has decided to join hands with the Congress in the BTC polls. The ice between the two parties has started to melt,” AIUDF general secretary Aminul Islam said in a joint news conference with Congress general secretary and senior spokesperson Durga Das Boro.
Together, both the parties will contest 20 seats out of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)’s 40 seats.
This is the second time in a month that the two parties are coming together. Earlier they jointly fielded senior journalist Ajit Bhuyan for a Rajya Sabha seat from Assam. Bhuyan is set to enter the Upper House uncontested.
Islam named Dilip Kumar Brahma (Parbatjhora), Anuwar Hussain (Fakiragram), Khalilur Rahman (Thuribari), Farhad Hussain (Mathanguri), Mitharam Basumatary (Dhansiri) and Wasim Akram Siddique (Mudoibari) as their candidates. The party, however, is yet to announce its candidate for the Manas-Serfang seat. All are new faces of the party.
Islam said, “The government has been doing divisive politics between the Bodos and non-Bodos. Through the new pact, the government has now started a new conflict between the Bodos.”
He was alluding to the war of words between BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) leader Pramod Boro.
Durga Das Boro said: “We are sure of winning most of the 20 seats we are contesting. Since with 20 seats none can form the council, we are open to alliance with any anti-BJP force.”
However, neither of the leaders commented on a possible alliance for the Assembly election. “It is too early to say, but for now we are together,” Durga Das Boro said.
On Monday, AICC general secretary in charge of Assam, Harish Rawat, had said no decision had been taken on an alliance with the AIUDF.
“There was no proposal from any party about an alliance which will be decided by the party high command,” he said.
Rawat said the Congress-AIUDF alliance for the BTC polls was a “local adjustment” which in no way suggested that the two parties had also sealed a deal for the 2021 Assembly polls, which, according to Rawat, the Congress is preparing to fight alone.
Till Tuesday, at least 17 candidates of the BPF, Congress, UPPL, CPM and Independents had filed their nominations for the council polls.
Guneswar Basumatary (UPPL) Arun Narzary (Congress), James Basumatary (BPF), Nirmal Narzary (UPPL), Suresh Daimary (UPPL), Moniwin Muchahary (Independent), Lankeswar Dev Ray (CPM), Pratibha Brahma (UPPL), Budhadeve Mushahary (UPPL), Rabiram Brahma (UPPL), Hitesh Kumar Machahary (UPPL), Manoj Kumar Rabha (Independent) and Nijwm Machahary (Independent) filed their nominations on Tuesday.
Additional reporting by Rinoy Basumatary in Kokrajhar
