Ajmal to back UPA,but will oppose Cong in Assam

He,however,denied reports about a possible merger with the Congress,saying he could not afford to do that after the people had elected him in place of a Congress candidate to Parliament. “How can a new political party like AUDF with 10 MLAs,one MP and 47 zila parishad members think of merger with the Congress? It is part of a misinformation campaign launched by the Congress in Assam. The Congress is worried over our emergence as a strong political force,” Ajmal said.

Ajmal said his party would continue its anti-Congress and anti-BJP stand till the next Assembly election in Assam due in 2011. His announcements comes in the backdrop of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi saying that he would always prefer a complete merger of the AUDF with the Congress rather than any tie-up.

“The party was formed in 2005 to fight against the Congress policy of treating minorities in Assam as a vote-bank,and also against the communal BJP. We will continue to fight the Congress and the BJP in Assam,” the AUDF chief said. His target,Ajmal said,was to win at least 35 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly in 2011.

The AUDF president also alleged that the Congress had rigged the Karimganj LS seat election. “The Congress and the state’s senior minister Gautam Ray rigged the election and despite our candidate Rajesh Malla leading till the last round,Congress nominee and sitting MP L M Suklabaidya was declared elected,” he said.