Eleven opposition parties in Assam held a meeting to formulate a common strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The parties held a meeting in Tezpur on Tuesday night. However, Badruddin Ajmal’s party, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), was kept out of that alliance.
Asom Jatiya Parishad chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “We had a fruitful meeting. There were efforts to bring all opposition parties together before the 2021 Assembly election in the state, but for some reasons that was not possible. This time we have started the preparations early, and hopefully joint opposition candidates will be fielded against the BJP in 2024.”
On keeping the AIUDF out of the opposition meeting, Gogoi alleged that Badruddin Ajmal has been working as an agent of the BJP.
According to him, the AIUDF has been doing communal politics in Assam, which is actually helping the BJP.
The Sivasagar MLA, Akhil Gogoi, said, “To save the constitution of the country, the BJP must be defeated in 2024. Eleven opposition parties took part in the discussion. We will also talk with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to come along with us. But as AIUDF is a communal party, we will not invite them.”
Gogoi further said that although next year’s Lok Sabha elections are the primary target, the alliance will continue until the 2026 Assembly polls in Assam.
The Assam Congress president, Bhupen Borah, said that the united opposition does not want the AIUDF to join their fold.
He commented, “We have conveyed our decision to the party high command. Badruddin Ajmal will not be allowed to spoil the opposition’s spirit.”
Meanwhile, on seat sharing, the opposition leaders said that discussions are ongoing to reach a proper formula, but the main focus will be on winning the polls.
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