The shaping of a new political alliance led by the Indian National Congress (INC) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) have surfaced after both the parties were collectively seen campaigning on Wednesday for the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections.
In an election campaign meeting held today at Mudiobari, Parbatjhora Nonwi Serfang, Pasnwi Serfang in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora, former Forest minister Rockybul Hussain and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal shared the same platform.
Resolving issues in the past between the two parties, the AIUDF chief said the BTC polls is the beginning of a fresh start of the alliance between not just Congress and AIUDF but the campaign also marked the onset of a larger 'Mahagathbandhan'.
The alliance would solve the issues of the BTR, which Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fail to carry out, Ajmal said.
On the contrary, on Tuesday, according to a 'The Hindu' report quoting a senior Congress leader based on anonymity that Rahul Gandhi, Jitendra Singh (general secretary in charge of Assam) and others said, "we should refrain from making any reference to a proposed grand alliance as such decisions would be taken by the All India Congress Committee".
"In a video conference with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee leaders on Monday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders also made it clear that the party's high command would take the final call on any alliance ahead of the 2021 Assembly poll," it added.
The BTC election is scheduled to be held on December 7 and 10 across 40 constituencies. The counting of the votes will take place on December 12.
