Assam: AIUDF MLA resigns from all posts over party’s poor show in Lok Sabha polls

AIUDF’s biggest loss was in Dhubri where party president Badruddin Ajmal, who represented the seat thrice since 2009, lost to Congress’ Rakibul Islam by a margin of over 1 million votes

A senior All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) office bearer in Assam has resigned from all organisational position following the party’s dismal performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal during the Lok Sabha election campaign Assam. (ANI Photo)

The party, which had contested three seats this time, failed to win any — the first such drubbing in 15 years since it started contesting Lok Sabha polls after AIUDF was formed in 2005. In 2009, the AIUDF, which considers Bengali-speaking Muslims as its main vote base, had bagged one seat, won three in 2014 and one in 2019.

“I have resigned on Monday from the posts of AIUDF’s general secretary (organisation) as well as that of chief spokesperson owning moral responsibility for the party’s poor show. I am still a primary member of the party and will continue to work for it,” said Md Aminul Islam, the AIUDF MLA from Mankachar.

AIUDF’s biggest loss was in Dhubri where party president Badruddin Ajmal, who represented the seat thrice since 2009, lost to Congress’ Rakibul Islam by a margin of over 1 million votes — the second highest margin of defeat in the country.

In the Nagaon seat, AIUDF MLA from Dhing, Aminul Islam, came third behind Congress and BJP. In Karimganj, the AIUDF candidate came third behind BJP and Congress.

AIUDF’s vote share also slipped significantly this year. In 2019, the party had bagged 7.87% of the total votes, compared to only 3.13% this time.

“There are several factors for our dismal show. One was that Muslim voters in Assam didn’t want Narendra Modi to become prime minister for another term and since our party wasn’t part of the INDIA bloc, they voted for Congress. The Congress’ lie about AIUDF having some secret deal with the BJP also seems to have turned voters away from us,” Islam said.

Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2024 general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 9, its coalition partners Asom Gana Parishad and United Peoples Party Liberal got one each and the Congress got 3.