Owaisi enters Assam poll battle, backs AIUDF; accuses Himanta of misusing power and targeting minorities

The Assam election campaign intensified on April 1 with the arrival of Asaduddin Owaisi, who launched a sharp attack on the ruling dispensation while extending full support to Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). 

Owaisi, who is in the state for a two-day campaign, said he would address more than eight rallies in support of AIUDF candidates across key constituencies.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Guwahati, Owaisi targeted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of “misusing the constitutional post” and “damaging secularism,” while alleging that the Chief Minister was displaying “hatred towards Muslim minorities.” His remarks are expected to further polarise the already heated political atmosphere in the state.

Addressing speculation about a possible division of minority votes away from AIUDF, Owaisi dismissed such claims, asserting that the party remains a strong political force. He said AIUDF is not owned by any individual leader, including himself or Ajmal, but belongs to the people, particularly the poor and marginalised sections, calling it a collective political asset.

Meanwhile, AIUDF candidate from Rupahihat, Aminul Islam, exuded confidence about the party’s electoral prospects, claiming that the “atmosphere is very favourable” for AIUDF in Assam. Welcoming Owaisi’s campaign support, Islam said the presence of the AIMIM chief would further energise the party’s base on the ground.

He predicted that constituencies across Middle Assam would largely swing in favour of AIUDF and claimed that the party would defeat both the BJP and the Congress in the region. In a strong political attack, Islam alleged that there is “no difference” between the BJP and the Congress in Assam, and accused the Congress of indirectly strengthening the BJP by “supplying leaders” to the ruling party.

Islam also targeted senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, stating that the electorate in Assam has begun to recognise what he described as a nexus between the Congress and the BJP, which, he claimed, has led to the weakening of the Congress’s position in the state.

With Owaisi’s entry adding a new dimension to the campaign and AIUDF leaders projecting confidence in key regions, the political contest in Assam is poised to witness sharper rhetoric and intensified mobilisation in the run-up to the polls.