Opposition unity: Assam Cong hosts meet of 11 parties, Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF not invited

Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 28 : In a bid to put up a combined challenge against the BJP at the Centre in next year's Lok Sabha elections, a meeting of 11 political parties, spearheaded by the Congress's Assam unit, was held in Guwahati on Thursday.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), which hosted the meeting in Guwahati, urged all like-minded Opposition forces to set aside their differences and close ranks in the interest of the broader goal of unseating the BJP from power in the 2024 general elections.

Interestingly, however, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal, was not invited to the meeting.

Senior Congress leaders as well as representatives of 10 other Opposition parties were present in the meeting. According to sources, the discussions centred around strategies to defeat the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls.

AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah were also present at the meeting.

"A total of 11 political parties were represented at the meeting. Apart from the Congress, the other political parties were the JD(U), NCP, Raijor Dal, RJD, TMC, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI (M), CPI (ML), and Jatiya Dal Assam. Several issues were discussed in the meeting and few decisions were taken as well," the Assam Congress president said.

"A coordination committee of the 11 political parties was formed at the meeting. It will be led by the APCC president. All the parties will come together for a mega public rally in Guwahati once Karnataka Assembly elections (on May 10) are done and dusted," he said.

He added that all 11 parties resolved not to go into an alliance with the AIUDF.

"AIUDF is the most unreliable political party. So in future, we will not forge any pact with AIUDF," he added.