AUDF ready to play responsible Opposition's role

Guwahati, May 14: Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal today stated that his party will play the role of a responsible Opposition in the state.

Addressing a press meet here, Mr Ajmal said the AUDF would watch the "dynamics of the situation and happily discharge the role of a responsible Opposition".

The AUDF has ten MLAs, including Mr Ajmal, in the newly elected state Assembly. He was unanimously elected the leader of the AUDF Legislative party yesterday.

Clarifying that the party had not offered support to the Congress after the poll results were declared on May 11, he said his statement had been "misunderstood".

Mr Ajmal said the AUDF would give outside support to the Congress-led government in its developmental activities and not oppose it just for the sake of it.

To a query, Mr Ajmal said the AUDF MLAs would not join the Congress at any point of time as was claimed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday.

Rubbishing the Congress' repeated allegation that the AUDF was a communal party, he said the AUDF believed in secularism and had members of all communities as its members.

He pointed out that of the total 71 AUDF candidates in the state polls, 26 were non-Muslim candidates.

Working president of the party H R A Choudhury said the AUDF had done remarkably well for a new party.

He maintained that the mandate was not pro-Congress, but it was for the Opposition.

UNI