Hours after announcing support for the BJP candidate in the upcoming by-election, three All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leaders were expelled from the party on Tuesday.
Three opposition leaders--Saddam Hussain, Safikul Islam and Sadikur Rahman earlier in the day announced their support for the BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarma in Assam’s Samaguri assembly seat defying the AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal’s direction.
Hussain and other leaders told reporters: “We cannot go with the Congress candidate Tanzil Hussain. His father Rakibul Hussain contested against our chief Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. This was a betrayal and hence we cannot support the Congress candidate in Samaguri.”
They openly announced their support for the BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarma. Following that, the AIUDF leadership expelled the trio from the party.
Badruddin Ajmal said that he did not field any candidate in the Samaguri assembly seat to help ‘nephew’ Tanzil Hussain.
He said: “I might have differences with Rakibul Hussain in Dhubri but I have no animosity with his son. I wish him good luck and I desire that he be chosen as an MLA from Yamaguchi in the bypolls. He has come to my house for the blessing.”
Ajmal was defeated by Rakibul Hussain by more than 10 lakh votes in AIUDF bastion Dhubri - a seat he represented in the lower house of the parliament for 15 years.
The AIUDF leadership earlier announced that they would field a candidate in the Samaguri Assembly seat; however, later they changed their decision and the party announced that they decided to stay out of the by-elections.
Ajmal said: “If we field candidates in any of the five seats which are going into bypolls, the BJP will get an advantage. We do not want to give the ruling party an edge in this election. AIUDF’s motive is to put a brake on BJP’s winning spree and that is why we have decided not to contest polls.”
Hussain was an MLA in the Samaguri Assembly constituency for a long time and the Congress party fielded him in the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat to take on Ajmal.
Following his win in the Lok Sabha polls, his Assembly seat Samaguri fell vacant and the bypolls became imminent there.
Wanted NSCN (K-YA) cadre held in Assam by security forces
The army and Assam Rifles in coordination with the Assam Police, apprehended a wanted top cadre of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Khaplang’s Yung Aung faction (NSCN-K-YA) from the state's Charaideo district, officials said on Monday.
PM Modi condemns Germany market attack, advocates brotherhood at CBCI Christmas event
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condemned attempts to incite violence in society, highlighting that the teachings of Jesus Christ promote love, harmony, and brotherhood.
National Awardee film-maker and 'parallel cinema' doyen Shyam Benegal dies at 90
Shyam Sunder S. Benegal, a multiple National Award winner and among the pioneers of ‘parallel cinema’ – with silver screen classics like “Junoon”, “Ankur”, “Manthan”, “Zubeida” and “The Making of the Mahatma” – passed away after a long battle with a kidney disease, his family said here on Monday.
End of no-detention policy: Students failing final exams in Classes 5, 8 will be retained in same grade
The central government has scrapped the "no-detention policy" in schools. In this regard, the Ministry of Education has issued an official Gazette notification.
Former SC judge V. Ramasubramanian appointed as NHRC Chairperson
After being without a regular designated head for over six months, the Centre on Monday cleared the appointment of retired Supreme Court judge Justice V. Ramasubramanian as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Minister Sushanta Chowdhury chairs 15th meeting of state road safety council
The state road and transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Monday chaired the 15th meeting of the State Road Safety Council here at Agartala and said that the government is contemplating to ensure zero road accidents through generating more awareness.
AIIMS like Medical College in TTAADC; Nadda seeks proposal from Tripura govt
The Union Health Minister J P Nada has sought proposal from the Tripura government over establishing AIIMS like Medical College in Tripura Tribal Areas and Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb slams Congress's dynastic politics
Former Tripura Chief Minister and current Lok Sabha MP, Biplab Kumar Deb, on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party's dynastic politics, accusing it of surrendering power to the communists in the state due to family-based succession.