Guwahati, Sep 16 (IANS) All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief, Badruddin Ajmal, has expressed confidence that his party will emerge victorious in the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha bye-election in Assam, asserting that both the BJP and Congress will face defeat in the contest.
Speaking in Hojai on Monday, Ajmal said the AIUDF’s campaign would focus on what he described as “humanity”, while taking a swipe at the BJP and Congress over their respective political approaches.
“The BJP talks about Hindus, while the Congress does not talk about the concerns of either Hindus or Muslims. We talk about humanity, so we are fully confident that we will win, and the other two parties will lose,” Ajmal said.
The AIUDF chief is set to file his nomination papers for the Nagaon bye-election at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
The party had earlier named Ajmal as its candidate for the bypoll, setting up a closely watched electoral contest in one of Assam’s politically significant Lok Sabha constituencies.
Ajmal’s candidature was announced a day before the deadline for filing nominations.
The bye-election was necessitated following the vacancy in the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat.
The contest has drawn attention because of the political significance of Nagaon, which has a substantial mix of communities and has traditionally witnessed competition among the BJP, Congress and minority-focussed political forces.
Ajmal, who is the AIUDF’s founder and chief, is a prominent political figure in Assam and currently represents Binnakandi in the state Assembly.
The AIUDF has sought to project its campaign around issues concerning people across communities, with Ajmal positioning the party’s approach as distinct from what he described as the BJP’s focus on Hindu voters and the Congress’ inability to adequately address the concerns of either community.
The BJP and Congress are also expected to focus on their respective organisational strengths and voter bases as campaigning gathers pace.
With Ajmal entering the fray, the Nagaon bypoll is set to become a significant test for the AIUDF’s political standing in central Assam.
The AIUDF chief reiterated that his party was confident of securing the seat and defeating both the BJP and Congress in the upcoming election.
Meanwhile, the BJP has fielded former IAS officer and former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Devasish Sharma, while the Congress has nominated former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora.
The contest assumes additional significance because the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat was won by the Congress in the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
The seat fell vacant after Pradyut Bordoloi resigned as MP and subsequently joined the BJP before contesting the Dispur Assembly constituency.
–IANS
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