Guwahati, March 6 (IANS) Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi on Friday accused the BJP of using the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) as its “political oxygen” in Assam, alleging that the ruling party depends on the regional outfit to sustain its political narrative ahead of elections.

Speaking at a press conference of opposition parties discussing unity and electoral strategy, Gogoi claimed that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma repeatedly invokes the AIUDF to polarise voters.

“The Chief Minister cannot do politics without taking the oxygen of AIUDF. Ajmal and the AIUDF are functioning as planned agents of the BJP,” Gogoi alleged, while also taking a swipe at the BJP’s ongoing ‘Jana Ashirwad Yatra’ in the state.

Gogoi said the BJP was attempting to divert attention from governance issues by raising communal narratives and targeting opposition forces.

He also called for stronger unity among opposition parties in Assam to challenge the ruling BJP in upcoming electoral contests.

The remarks come amid a continuing war of words between the Raijor Dal leadership and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the role of the AIUDF in Assam’s politics.

Earlier this week, Sarma alleged that the Congress party’s electoral strategy revolves around constituencies dominated by what he described as “Bangladeshi-origin Muslims”, claiming that the opposition alliance was aligning its politics around such demographics.

The Chief Minister has repeatedly criticised both the Congress and the AIUDF, accusing them of practising “vote-bank politics” in the state.

Responding to these allegations, Gogoi said the BJP government was attempting to polarise society and create political narratives centred on identity and community divisions rather than focusing on development.

He further alleged that the ruling party raises the AIUDF issue strategically during elections to consolidate votes.

The escalating exchange between Sarma and Gogoi reflects the sharpening political contest in Assam as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the next round of electoral battles in the state.

–IANS

tdr/pgh