Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav and party’s Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Tyagi escorted All India United Democratic Front (AUDF) leader and MP from Assam Badruddin Ajmal to Patna for the swearing-in ceremony of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The AUDF chief had been invited by Mr. Kumar for the ceremony and the two leaders of his party made sure that Mr. Ajmal left Delhi with them, overturning his travel plans that mandated a shorter stopover in Patna.
“Yes, Mr. Ajmal was booked on a later flight, but we insisted he fly in early, with us,” Mr. Tyagi confirmed to The Hindu . Sources in the party said the JD(U) is looking to play a role in Assam, in order to bring the Congress and Mr. Ajmal to an electoral understanding.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had already, following the Mahagthbandhan sweep in Bihar, said that he was looking forward to a similar understanding between all anti-BJP forces in Assam where Assembly polls are due early next year.
It is perhaps the only State going to polls in that batch (other States include Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu) where the BJP has a real chance of winning.
“We are not talking of seat adjustment yet, but a broader understanding is possible,” Mr. Gogoi had said on November 8, the day the Bihar Assembly poll results were declared.
“We want a broad alliance of anti-BJP parties on the issue of secularism and tolerance, price rise and policy,” said Mr. Tyagi, pointing out that the guest list for Mr. Kumar’s swearing-in ceremony included several non-Congress, non-BJP chief ministers and leaders.
Many leaders in the JD(U) have a good relationship with Assam Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita. They also feel that just as the Congress had midwifed the grand alliance in Bihar, a third party may help the situation between the Congress and the AUDF in Assam.
‘Warming up to each other’“Mr. Gogoi and Mr. Ajmal are not exactly friends, but have been warming up to each other. We do see a role for us here,” said Mr. Tyagi.
