Congress Will Never Ally with AIUDF, Says Gaurav Gogoi

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday firmly dismissed any possibility of an alliance between the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

Responding to recent remarks by AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, the APCC chief made it clear that the Congress has drawn a definitive line and will not cross it under any circumstances. He described Ajmal’s repeated references to a potential tie-up as misplaced and detached from political reality.

“There is no question of a Congress–AIUDF alliance, now or in the future. If Badruddin Ajmal believes otherwise, he is mistaken,” Gogoi said, directly countering Ajmal’s assertion that AIUDF was fully prepared for an alliance if Congress showed willingness.

Gogoi underscored that external pressure or political arithmetic would not influence the party’s stance. “No amount of persuasion or pressure will change Congress’s position. AIUDF cannot compel Congress into an alliance,” he asserted, adding that expectations of a future understanding were nothing more than Ajmal’s personal assumption.

Clarifying the Congress party’s internal preparations, Gogoi said candidate selection for the upcoming elections would follow a structured and transparent process. He noted that the party’s screening committee would take the final call on candidates and constituencies, and confirmed that senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has already been entrusted with leading the committee.

Ajmal, meanwhile, has continued to express hope for opposition unity. Speaking earlier in the day at the inauguration of the Mufti Abdul Haque Markaz Academy School at Balapara in Jogighopa, the AIUDF chief said defeating the BJP in Assam would require all opposition forces to come together.

“To stop the BJP in Assam, unity is the only option. If the Congress comes forward, we are ready to consider an alliance wholeheartedly,” Ajmal said, while also acknowledging that AIUDF would contest the elections independently if Congress maintained its refusal.

Ajmal further claimed that his party continues to enjoy significant grassroots support, asserting that there remains a strong public sentiment in favour of AIUDF across parts of the state.

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