Guwahati : All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the two national parties of political opportunism and asserting that unseating the BJP would be the AIUDF’s primary objective in the next Assam Assembly elections.

Responding to allegations that the AIUDF functions as the BJP’s “B team”, Ajmal turned the charge against the Congress. “If AIUDF is called the BJP’s B team, then the Congress is the BJP’s A-plus team,” he said, alleging that several senior Congress leaders accept money from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Ajmal claimed he had evidence to substantiate the allegation.

He further accused the Congress of neglecting Upper Assam, saying the party has failed to build a strong organisational base in the region. Predicting a poor electoral showing, Ajmal said the Congress would not be able to win more than 20 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Outlining AIUDF’s electoral strategy, Ajmal said the party would contest in 35 constituencies and would avoid entering races merely to split votes. “We will contest only where we have a realistic chance of winning,” he said.

Taking a swipe at political critics, Ajmal questioned attempts to marginalise him. “If I am labelled as zero, then what are Akhil Gogoi and Lurinjyoti Gogoi?” he asked. He also claimed that out of 17 political parties in Assam, at least 15 have no meaningful grassroots presence.

Ajmal said the AIUDF would soon clarify whether its principal political rival in the coming elections would be the Congress or the BJP. He added that he has multiple reasons for opposing the BJP, which he said he has already articulated publicly.

Questioning the repeated political use of the term “Miya”, Ajmal asked whether it was a genuine issue or a deliberate attempt to polarise voters.

On his own electoral plans, Ajmal said he does not intend to contest the forthcoming elections personally but added that he would reconsider if asked to do so by the party leadership.

Criticising the Chief Minister, Ajmal strongly objected to remarks allegedly made about Muslims, saying that while the Chief Minister comments on the personal lives of Muslims, no one questions the Chief Minister himself. He went on to liken Sarma to authoritarian figures such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, describing him as a tyrant and alleging that Assam has never seen a more oppressive Chief Minister.

Reiterating his criticism of the Congress, Ajmal said the party must show seriousness by strengthening its organisational work in Upper Assam. He added that if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could clearly assure that the Congress would form the government and effectively address minority issues, he would be willing to dissolve the AIUDF.

Ajmal also accused the Congress of holding secret meetings with politically insignificant parties at a city hotel, alleging backroom manoeuvring without a public mandate. He reaffirmed the AIUDF’s opposition to vote manipulation and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), describing these as central to the party’s political position.