After Sushmita Dev, Congress' Siddique Ahmed threatens to resign from party

GUWAHATI: Worrying tidings from the Congress camp as the exodus of MLAs are likely to continue unless amicable settlements with the Badruddin Ajmal-led All United Democratic Front (AIUDF) amid seat-sharing talks.

 

Even as the Grand Old Party's 'screening committee' is going through the names of candidates who can be floated to dislodge the saffron party from the power corridors of Dispur. If reports are to be believed, former minister and Congress leader Siddique Ahmed -- who lost to the AIUDF candidate in 2016 -- wants his party to hold onto his former Constituency.

 

"Ahmed -- like Sushmita Dev -- is disgruntled at the ongoing seat-sharing process with the AIUDF. He has said that if his demand is not met, he will not hesitate to walk out," a source informed InsideNE.

 

In the 2016 Assembly election, the AIUDF's Aziz Ahmed Khan won the Assembly seat in a narrow battle receiving 58,060 votes compared to the Congress' Siddique Ahmed, who got 53,644 votes.

 

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In the 2011 Assembly election, Siddique Ahmed, with 45,395 votes, swatted aside a challenge from the IATC's Ekbal Hussain, who got a mere 22,282 votes.

 

The Assam Assembly polls will be held to elect a total of 126 Members of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

 

Earlier, Sushmita Dev, unhappy with the on-going seat-sharing discussions with the AIUDF, has tendered her resignation to the party high-command.

 

The ‘screening committee’ of the Congress is reportedly perusing the lists of potential candidates.

 

According to early reports, the Congress-led grand alliance partner All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) will contest from 24 seats in the Assam assembly elections to be held in three phases from March 27 to April 6.