'We want anti-BJP government': AIUDF sets terms ahead of Assam polls

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Rafiqul Islam on March 17 said the party would back any “anti-BJP government” in Assam, accusing both the previous Congress regime and the current BJP-led government of failing to address key public issues.

Speaking ahead of the Assembly elections, Islam highlighted what he described as urgent concerns, including the “erosion of the people and land problem” and the lack of irrigation facilities for farmers. He said the party’s support would depend on the formation of a non-BJP government in which AIUDF has a role.

“We want an anti-BJP government and a government in which we have a share… There is no arrangement of water for irrigation for the farmers,” he said. “If there is an anti-BJP government here, we will support it. If we can become a part of it, then we will address the people's problems in the education sector, the health sector, and road communication.”

Islam also ruled out any possibility of aligning with the BJP, stating that the party wants the ruling dispensation “out of Assam”. He added that “secular parties should win as many seats as possible” to ensure the formation of a unified anti-BJP government.

Assam is set for a closely contested election for its 126-member Assembly, scheduled for April 9. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is aiming for a third consecutive term, while the Congress is seeking a return to power.

Following the Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule, the AIUDF said it is preparing to contest all 126 seats.

The BJP has intensified its outreach campaign through the ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’, with Sarma actively engaging with voters. During the initial phase, he said he had travelled 1,200 km, spending up to 14 hours a day interacting with the public.

Meanwhile, the Congress has released its second list of candidates, naming 23 nominees and taking its total to 65. The party has left 15 constituencies, including Bhowanipur-Sorbhoog, Bajali, Palasbari and Guwahati Central, for alliance partners.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NDA — comprising the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) — secured 75 seats, with the BJP emerging as the largest partner with 60 seats. The election recorded a voter turnout of 86.2 per cent, with over 2.2 crore registered voters.