AIUDF set to revive ‘ekla cholo’ strategy for 2026 Assembly polls, eyes 35 seats

Guwahati, June 19: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is likely to go solo in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, even as the party focuses primarily on regaining its old support base among the Bengali-speaking Muslim electorate.

Party sources told The Assam Tribune that the Badruddin Ajmal-led outfit is keen to contest around 35 seats in the polls.

“Since our party’s inception in 2005, AIUDF has a history of generally contesting elections on its own. The 2021 Assembly polls were an exception when we were part of the Congress-led Opposition alliance. We would have preferred to continue the tie-up, but the Congress party unilaterally broke it post the 2021 elections. The dominant view within our party now is that we should enter the fray next year following the policy of ‘Ekla Cholo’,” a senior AIUDF office-bearer said.

He said the party is likely to field its candidates in around 35 Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) in next year’s elections.

“The party has identified around 35 seats where the leadership feels that the AIUDF can put up serious contests. The seats have been divided into categories A, B, and C. In category A, there are 22 LACs where the majority number of the electorates belongs to the Muslim community. The categories B and C are the constituencies having substantial numbers of Muslims. As minorities, particularly the Bengali-speaking Muslims, constitute the backbone of our support base, we want to focus on such seats where our chances are high instead of spending resources and effort across Assam,” said the leader.

Another senior leader of the party asserted that the AIUDF will continue to maintain an anti-BJP stand.

“Our top-most priority is to ensure that the BJP-led NDA does not return to power for a third consecutive term in Dispur. That is another reason we are not interested in contesting more seats. We do not want to help the BJP by fielding nominees in all the 126 LACs. Therefore, we shall contest only a limited number of seats. I also want to categorically assert that in the case of a hung Assembly, the AIUDF will extend unconditional support for the formation of a non-NDA and non-BJP government in the State,” he added.

On being asked about AIUDF’s dismal show in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which witnessed the party’s supremo and three-term MP Badruddin Ajmal himself losing from Dhubri, the leader said, “AIUDF had earlier also contested elections sans alliance and won as many as three seats in the Lok Sabha and 18 LACs in the Assembly. The recent panchayat poll results have demonstrated our party’s resurgence in the minority-dominated belt, and we expect further consolidation in our favour in 2026.”