AIUDF to Contest 35 Seats Alone, Yet Leaves Door Open for Strategic Congress Tie-Up

In a development that has injected fresh speculation into Assam’s pre-election landscape, the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) has signaled that it is ready to support the Congress to form the next government — even as the party continues to unleash some of its sharpest attacks on the Congress leadership.

Within the AIUDF, several leaders have begun openly articulating a roadmap that could dramatically alter post-poll equations. Party leaders say AIUDF is “prepared to back Congress to form the government”, provided it succeeds in its electoral mission: contesting 30–35 seats, pushing a 20+ seat mission, and capturing the party’s most ambitious target so far — the 22 minority-dominated ‘Miya’ constituencies.

“If we win 22 seats, we will support the Congress to form the government,” AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman said, hinting that the party views the next election less as a solo performance and more as a strategic opportunity to influence the course of Assam’s politics.

The party’s claim that it is “ready to extend support to the Congress to form the government” has energised speculation about an unusual political paradox playing out on the ground.

Because almost simultaneously, AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman has attacked the Congress with some of the harshest words used in recent months. Urging the party not to indulge in “Miya politics,” he said the Congress should focus on constituencies that include “all communities.” Yet in the same breath, he hit out with a polarising charge:

“Congress is a Miya Party… মিঞা মানুহৰ বাদে কংগ্ৰেছ দলত আন মানুহ দেখা পোৱা নাযায়.”

His remarks — that “no one except Miya people can be seen inside the Congress” — have triggered debate over whether the AIUDF is contradicting itself or strategically positioning its political message for both sides of Assam’s polarised electorate.

Ajmal’s Offensive: ‘Congress Cannot Form Government’

The speculation thickens further when contrasted with AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal’s sharply confrontational statements just days earlier. Declaring that AIUDF would contest the 2026 Assam Assembly elections alone, Ajmal said his primary targets were the BJP and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, even branding Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi as an “agent of the BJP”.

Ajmal dismissed the possibility of any alliance with the Congress with complete clarity.

“Congress leaders are dreaming of Muslim votes,” he said. “But they lack the ability to form a government.”

In one of his most critical assessments of the Congress’ electoral prospects, Ajmal asserted:

“Even if Congress gets the entire 35% Muslim vote, they still cannot win. They simply don’t have the numbers.”

He added that while “Congress seeks friendship with AIUDF”, he has “no intention of forming an alliance.”

His criticisms also extended to senior state Congress leaders:

• “Gaurav Gogoi knows nothing.”

• “Bhupen Borah knew something, but he is no longer the Congress president.”

A Calculated Positioning Ahead of 2026

Ajmal’s unwavering stance — that AIUDF will contest at least 35 seats and will “win more seats than the Congress” — forms one half of the picture. The other half lies in the internal calculations voiced by his own party’s MLAs, who are openly discussing post-poll support for the Congress if they achieve their “20+ mission.”

The dual messaging, insiders suggest, may not be accidental. AIUDF appears to be carefully crafting a position that keeps its minority voter base energised while also leaving the door open for a post-poll realignment.

Political observers say the possibility — or even the hint — of an AIUDF–AIMIM partnership could dramatically impact the Lower Assam and Barak Valley seats. But AIMIM’s official denial has injected uncertainty into whether such a bloc will ultimately materialise.

Still, the numbers remain central to AIUDF’s narrative:
30–35 seats contested, 20+ seats targeted, and 22 “Miya belt” constituencies seen as crucial to any claim on post-poll leverage.

Whether these ambitions translate into actual influence will determine not just AIUDF’s future — but potentially the shape of Assam’s 2026 government.

Also Read: No Alliance, No Confusion: Ajmal Sets AIUDF’s Lone-Wolf Path for 2026