GUWAHATI: Aminul Hoque Laskar, who resigned from the BJP on Tuesday, claimed that the BJP has lost its past glory and compromised with a communal force like AIUDF in Assam to win over the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“BJP and AIUDF are now one. You see the social media how AIUDF MLAs are seeking ‘dua’ from people for victory of BJP candidate in the elections,” Laskar told media after resigning from the BJP here.
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Laskar a notable minority leader of BJP, will join the Congress in a joining programme to be held at Rajiv Bhawan in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Assam PCC in-charge Jitendra Singh and Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah at 2 pm on Wednesday.
Laskar was a former MLA from Sonai constituency of Barak Valley and he was elevated to the post of deputy speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly.
He was also the chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Minorities since September 5, 2022.
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“I joined the BJP on February 8, 2011, along with former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The b Notin Gadkari was the national president of the BJP. Our purpose of joining the BJP was to fight for a ‘parivartan’. In the 2011 elections also we fought for a parivartan,” Laskar said.
“We fought in the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the same mantra of parivartan and we won the elections, BJP formed the government in the Centre,” Laskar also said.
“In 2016 also, we fought the assembly elections in Assam with the same mantra of parivartan and we were able to form the government in Dispur. We have decided to fight against communal forces like AIUDF,” he said.
“We have been working with that ideology since 2014 to 2021. But since 2021, the BJP has changed its character and now BJP and AIUDF are one,” he said.
“You see the social media. AIUDF MLA Karimddin Barbhuyan sought dua for the victory of BJP candidate Parimal Suklabaidya in this election. The AIUDF is campaigning for BJP leaving their party candidates in Barak Valley. Karimuddin openly said Parimal Suklabaidya is a nice person and he should win the battle,” Laskar also said.
“In the 2021 election, Parimal used AIUDF against me so that I would be defeated in the Sonai constituency. He had supported four candidates from the seat to ensure my defeat. In turn, the AIUDF is now helping him. It is only because of Parimal, I was defeated in the 2021 elections,” Laskar alleged.
“I noticed that the BJP is separated from its past ideology after 2021. We do not want to do politics with a communal agenda. But the BJP is now doing it. I am looking for a politics of humanity,” the former BJP leader said.
“BJP has lost its original character. You see in the Darrang-Udalguri constituency also, AIUDF MLAs are campaigning for BJP candidates openly. People are observing the situation. They are not satisfied with the BJP. It will be reflected in the results of the elections,” he claimed.
“In Barak Valley also party workers are disgruntled with the selection of candidates in Silchar and Karimganj. They found no other leader other than Parimal Suklaabaidya and Kripanath Mohhal to fight the polls. They gave party tickets to a certain community people depriving the people of other communities,” he further alleged.
“BJP wants seats only. Therefore they polarize the voters to win the poll on Hindu-Muslim cards. And AIUDF MLAs know that they will not retain power. Therefore they are also helping BJP to survive,” he claimed.
“In the 2019 election, BJP won 2 seats from Barak Valley. I guess this year the picture will be the opposite. We were proud of the BJP. We claimed that it is the world’s largest political party,” Laskar said.
“I have decided to join Congress according to the suggestion of the people of my constituency. I will fight the 2026 assembly elections from the Sonai constituency. Now Congress is in a crisis period. But the party will revive. Once BJP also had five MLAs in the assembly till 2011. But how they formed the government in 2016 within five years,” he also said.
“I was also with AGP in 1996. I was with them during their crisis period. I was also with BJP during the crisis period and No will be with the Congress. Congress is not communal like BJP and AIUDF, it is a secular party,” he further claimed.
“We do not say the party is bad, but the leaders are corrupt. From 2011-2021 we never compromised with a communal party like AIUDF. But they are now doing it comprising with their ideology. What AIUDF is doing? They are selling Muslims. BJP has not fielded any minority candidate in this election. You may join BJP, vote for lotus, but you will not get representation- that is their mantra now,” Laskar said.
“I won the election in 2016 from Sonai which was listed as a C category seat by BJP. No top leader came here to campaign for me. In 2016, I was the only minority MLA in the country from the BJP. I should be inducted as a cabinet minister, but they offered me the post of deputy speaker only,” he said.
Laskar said he would work to strengthen the Congress party in Barak Valley despite several top leaders of Congress like Kamalakhaya Dey Purkayastha, and Siddique Ahmed had extended support to the BJP-led government in Assam ahead of the LS elections.