AIUDF chief holds Congress responsible if BJP wins in Assam

Guwahati, Apr 12: AIUDF president and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal has said that Congress, which had rejected his offer of an alliance in assembly polls, will be responsible if BJP wins in Assam because of division of secular votes.

Ajmal, who has been projecting himself as 'king-maker', had tweeted "If BJP wins because of division of secular votes, it is Congress who will be responsible (sic)".

On the eve of the final phase of elections held yesterday, the chief of the minority dominated Assam United Democratic Front had tweeted "Even before two days we approached Cong to come in to some understanding. But Congress rejected our offer".

"We tried our best to form an alliance with the Congress, Prashant Kishore spoke to Rahul Gandhi in this regard".

"But unfortunately Congress did not agree to form an alliance with us. They rather are hell bent to divide secular votes," Ajmal had said in a series of tweets.

The AIUDF MP, who is critical of the saffron party, had on March 27 tweeted: "BJP is panicked, they have realised that they don't have people's support. These dirty tricks won't help them".

Prior to that on March 17 he had said, "BJP remembers illegal immigration problem only during election. The people of Assam won't fall to BJP's ploy this time".

The AIUDF though mostly concentrated in lower Assam sought to make its presence felt in upper Assam contesting on 27 seats there in the first phase of polling on April 4 while it put up 47 candidates in the second phase on April 11.

AIUDF is hoping to be a major player in the election arena by garnering the minority community votes. Ajmal claimed in several of his poll campaign meetings that he would play the 'king maker' in the event of a hung Assembly and would seek the Deputy Chief Minister's portfolio from which ever political party he lends support to form the next government.

Two phase assembly elections in Assam ended yesterday in which a record voter turnout of about 85 per cent in the second phase for 61 seats and earlier 82.20 per cent in the first phase for 65 seats was registered.

PTI