AIUDF to contest for second Assam Rajya Sabha seat

Guwahati: The Opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) today announced that party general secretary Aminul Islam would be its candidate for the second seat in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Assam on 30 May. AIUDF president Badaruddin Ajmal told reporters in Guwahati that as partners of the UPA coalition at the Centre, they respect Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is contesting the first seat and want him to win unopposed.[caption id=“attachment_794801” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to get selected in the first seat unopposed. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] Ajmal further said the party was “supporting the prime minister not because he is a Congress candidate but because he is the prime minister of the country”. Asked whether they would seek support from BJP, Ajmal said that AIUDF has ideological differences with the party. AIUDF is the largest Opposition party in the Assam Assembly with 18 seats. Elections will be held to fill up the vacancies which have arisen due to the expiry of the term of office of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is Rajya Sabha member from Assam and AGP MP Kumar Deepak Das on 14 June next. The prime minister filed his nomination paper on 15 May in the Assam Assembly. Polling, if necessary, would be held on 30 May and the last date of filing nominations was 20 May. PTI