Assam Congress Splits With AIUDF Ahead Of By-Elections

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday said that it has decided to snap its ties with its Mahajot ally AIUDF saying that "AIUDF leadership's continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP party and the Chief Minister has affected the public perception of the Congress party".

It also said that "AIUDF's behaviour and attitude in relation to the BJP party has baffled the members of the Congress party".

This was stated by President Bhupen Bora during a presser of the core committee in Dispur today. Top party leaders including leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia, MLA Rakibul Hussain and MP Gaurav Gogoi were also present.

"The AIUDF leadership's and senior members continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP party and the Chief Minister has affected the public perception of the Congress party.  In this connection after a long discussion the Core Committee members of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee unanimously decided that AIUDF can no longer remain an alliance partner of Mahajot and in this regard will send intimation to AICC," the party said in a statement.

"As decided in the last Core Committee meeting, today's meeting also reiterated the earlier decision to give full authority to the PCC president, along with Working Presidents and Chairman of the LAC Constituencies constituted for the forthcoming By-Elections to take decisions in the matters of election strategy, candidate selection etc," a statement from the party further stated.

Notably, this comes just ahead of the by-elections to the vacant Assembly seats in the state, which is likely to be held by the end of the year.