AIUDF acting as BJP's B-team in Assam, charges Congress leader Ripun Bora
Synopsis
Congress leader Ripun Bora has publicly accused AIUDF of being the BJP's 'B team' in Assam — a pointed charge timed to the AIUDF's early candidate announcement for the Nagaon bypoll. With AIUDF rejecting a Congress alliance and the seat having just been vacated by a defecting Congress MP, the bypoll is shaping up as a three-way contest that could hand the BJP a strategic advantage.
Key Takeaways
Ripun Bora of the Congress accused AIUDF of acting as the BJP's 'B team' in Assam on Tuesday .
AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal named Rejaul Karim Sarkar , former All Assam Minorities Students' Union leader, as the party's candidate for the Nagaon bypoll.
AIUDF rejected the Congress' appeal for an electoral alliance, ensuring a split Opposition contest.
The Nagaon seat fell vacant after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and joined the BJP .
A divided Opposition vote in Nagaon could directly benefit the BJP , according to political observers.
Senior Indian National Congress leader Ripun Bora on Tuesday accused the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) of functioning as the 'B team' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, alleging that the regional party's early candidate declaration for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bye-election was a calculated move to split Opposition votes and erode the Congress' minority support base.
What Bora Alleged
Speaking in Guwahati, Bora charged that the AIUDF had announced its candidate well ahead of the bypoll at the BJP's behest, with the intent to consolidate minority votes under its own banner and fracture the Congress' traditional constituency among minority voters.
'It is an open secret that AIUDF is the B team of BJP in Assam. At the advice of BJP, the AIUDF has declared the candidate so early. It is a part of their strategy just to consolidate the minority votes in favour of AIUDF and break the Congress support base among the minority people,' Bora said.
The AIUDF Candidate and Alliance Rejection
AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal had announced former All Assam Minorities Students' Union leader Rejaul Karim Sarkar as the party's nominee for the Nagaon seat. The AIUDF has also declined the Congress' overture for an electoral alliance ahead of the bypoll, effectively setting the stage for a divided Opposition contest.
Why the Nagaon Seat Is Vacant
The Nagaon parliamentary constituency fell vacant after sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from Parliament and subsequently crossed over to the BJP. The defection itself has added a charged political dimension to the bypoll, with the BJP looking to consolidate its hold on the seat and the Congress under pressure to demonstrate its relevance in the constituency.
What the Congress-AIUDF Divide Means
The breakdown between the two parties is not an isolated development. It reflects deepening political fault lines in Assam over the distribution of minority votes — a constituency both parties have historically contested. With the AIUDF fielding its own candidate, analysts note that a fragmented Opposition vote could directly benefit the BJP in Nagaon.
This is the latest flashpoint in a long-running rivalry between the Congress and AIUDF for influence among Assam's minority electorate, and the bypoll is being closely watched as a barometer of Opposition cohesion in the state ahead of future electoral contests.
Point of View
But the political context here gives it more weight than usual. The Nagaon seat was lost not to the BJP in an election, but through a defection — a wound the Congress has not publicly reckoned with. Blaming AIUDF for splitting the minority vote sidesteps the harder question: why did its own sitting MP cross over? The Congress-AIUDF rivalry for Assam's minority electorate is real, but the party's credibility in that constituency is also under strain. If the bypoll results in a BJP win, the post-mortem will be about more than AIUDF's candidate timing.
NationPress
25 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ripun Bora call AIUDF the BJP's B-team?
Bora accused AIUDF of announcing its Nagaon bypoll candidate early at the BJP's behest, allegedly to consolidate minority votes under AIUDF and weaken the Congress' support base among minority voters. He described the move as part of a coordinated strategy to fragment the Opposition vote in favour of the BJP.
Who is the AIUDF candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bye-election?
AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal named Rejaul Karim Sarkar, a former leader of the All Assam Minorities Students' Union, as the party's candidate for the Nagaon bypoll.
Why is the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat vacant?
The Nagaon seat fell vacant after sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from Parliament and subsequently joined the BJP, triggering the bye-election.
Did AIUDF agree to an alliance with Congress for the Nagaon bypoll?
No. AIUDF rejected the Congress' appeal for an electoral alliance, setting up a contest in which the Opposition vote is likely to be divided between the two parties — a scenario that could benefit the BJP.
What is the political significance of the Nagaon bypoll?
The Nagaon bypoll is being closely watched as a test of Opposition unity in Assam and the electoral impact of the Congress-AIUDF divide among minority voters. The BJP, which gained the seat through defection, is expected to use the fragmented Opposition to consolidate its position.
