AUDF dissension resurfaces

Guwahati, Jul 27 (UNI) Dissension within the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) resurfaced today with one faction charging president Badaruddin Ajmal with running the party autocratically and the latter attributing it to the ''dirty politics of Tarun Gogoi.'' The AUDF has ten members in the Asom Assembly and the party is headed by millionaire businessman Badaruddin Ajmal.

It was he, who led the party in the election, robbing the Congress of absolute majority in the last Assembly polls forcing the latter to take the help of the Bodos to form a coalition government.

AUDF general secretary AUDF Bashir Ahmed Qaisimi raised the flag of rebellion against Mr Ajmal, terming him as a businessman rather than politician during addressing a press conference here.

'' He has to leave either business or politics, '' said Mr Bashir admitting that almost all the top members of the AUDF were with him.

'' Founder members like Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury and Dr Kamalendu Bhattacharjee are also with us, '' he added.

He alleged that Mr Ajmal was more interested in expanding his business empire rather than the welfare of the minority. '' He is engaging his company executives to run the party instead of the minority leaders, '' he alleged.

However, the Ajmal faction blamed the Congress for fuelling the dissension to win the Jamunamukh byelection. The Congress had been trying to weaken the AUDF for some time as the party had emerged as a major force for the minorities.

Meanwhile, talking to newsan, Mr Ajmal alleged that dissension was the handiwork of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and said it would never be successful. '' He is trying but he cannot divide the minorities of Asom again. '' UNI MT SJC DB1636