Ending speculation, AIUDF announces support for Yashwant Sinha in presidential polls
The Congress and the AIUDF had paired up with in January 2021 ahead of the Assembly elections, but they were unable to stop the BJP and its allies from winning a majority
- Jul 17, 2022,
- Updated Jul 17, 2022, 5:11 PM IST
Ending all speculations, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) party of Assam has announced that it will endorse opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election tomorrow (July 18).
Sinha will contest against Droupadi Murmu, the BJP-led NDA nominee, in the presidential race.
AIUDF spokesperson and general secretary Aminul Islam, talking to India Today NE over the phone, confirmed that the party will take an “anti-BJP stand” by voting for the Opposition candidate Sinha.
“Our party the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) decided today to vote in the presidential election in favour of the Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha and we are supporting him. Our stand is very clear – it is an anti-BJP stand.”
Until recently, the AIUDF’s choice for president was shrouded in mystery as party supremo Badruddin Ajmal had openly criticized the Assam Congress unit and its president Bhupen Bora.
The Congress and the AIUDF had paired up with in January 2021 ahead of the Assembly elections, but they were unable to stop the BJP and its allies from winning a majority.
It was a short-lived alliance that fell apart in August of the same year.
Citing the All-India United Democratic Front’s (AIUDF) “continuous and mysterious praise” for the BJP, the Congress announced its decision to sever ties with its Mahajot alliance partner.
During a few media interactions, Ajmal had even threatened to vote for the BJP-backed Murmu over an alleged beef with Bora. At the height of the beef, Bora had asked his party’s members not to talk about Ajmal in front of media personnel.
The AIUDF has 15 legislators in the Assam Assembly and one MP from the Lok Sabha (Ajmal himself who represents Dhubri).
The 126-member Assam Assembly currently comprises 78 MLAs of the ruling NDA -- 62 legislators of the BJP, nine of the AGP and seven of the UPPL.
While Sinha visited Assam on July 13 to seek support from the opposition MPs and MLAs, Murmu came to garner support on July 7.