Md. Nasirul Hoque
Abstract:
The All India United Democratic Front ( known as AIUDF) is a state political party which originated in Assam. The leader of the party is Moulana Badaruddin Ajmal who is the Member of Parliament at present. The Headquarter of the party is located in Guwahati. Moulana Badaruddin Ajmal established this party on 3rd October, 2005. On 3nd October 2005, just a few months before the 2006 Assam Assembly election, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal supported by 18 NGO’s formed a political party named Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF). Latter he re-launched the party in other states of India through a press meet in New Delhi on 2nd February 2009. Since then this party is known as AIUDF. The AIUDF has been playing a significant role in the electoral politics of Assam. In this paper an attempt is made to focus on the causes of origin of AIUDF and its electoral performances.
Key -Words: AIUDF, Electoral Performance, Origin, Political Party etc.
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Introduction
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has emerged as one of the influential political parties of Assam. It was formerly known as AUDF (Assam United Democratic Front). It was formed in the eve of Assam Assembly election, 2006 and won 10 seats of the state Assembly in the same election. Maulana Baduruddin Ajmal is the President of AIUDF. The AIUDF has been playing a significant role in the electoral politics of Assam since its inception. In the Parliamentary election, 2009 it got one seat and in the last Assembly election, 2011 this party won 18 seats of state Assembly of Assam. In 2014 Parliamentary election it has got 3 seats from Assam. Now it has been playing the oppositional role in the politics of Assam.
The AIUDF plays a very effective role in the politics of Assam. Before the emergence of AIUDF the religious minorities were merely regarded as the vote bank by the political parties. But with the entry of the AIUDF into the electoral politics a major portion of the votes of the religious minorities of Assam are being casted in favour of this party. For Example in The Assam Assembly election, 2011 this party was able to win 18 seats which were dominated by congress party earlier. Apart from the Congress, other political parties are also to suffer because of the emergence of AIUDF. The AIUDF, in fact, stands as a parallel contester of Congress among the minority voters.
1.1 Changing Status of Women in India
In ancient India, women enjoyed the highest position in the society equal with man, when the education of women had made a great progress. But in Mediavel Period, after establishment of Muslim rule, parda system became prevalent and women both among the Muslims and Hindus were deprived from education and social status of women also started to decline. The law status of women in India as well as Assam up to late 1940s had mainly stemmed from illiteracy, economic dependency, religious prohibitions, caste restrictions, lack of female leadership and apathetic and callous attitude of males etc.
After Independence, It is not mentionable that after independence the status of women in India has changed a lot. In 1950 the Indian Constitution in the articles 15& 16 emphasised on equal opportunity in education and in employment or appointment to any office under the state. According to the article 45 “The state shall provide free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years. By all children the article meant all children of our country including boys & girls.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the present study are as follows:
i. To find out the causes of origin of the AIUDF in the politics of Assam.
ii. To assess the electoral performance of the AIUDF in the elections of
Assam.
Methodology
This study makes use of both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data are collected from the documents obtained from the AIUDF office, members, and leaders, and government documents. The secondary data are collected from the library. The descriptive method and interview method are applied in this study.
Causes of Origin of AIUDF
The Congress government at the centre during 2004-09 appointed Sachar Committee and its report has drawn the attention of the minority communities to issues of socio-economic backwardness and unity with the backward sections of the society. Sachar committee report has revolutionized the whole concept of the policy making of backward Muslims. Since the report the government has launched several fresh schemes which are benefiting Muslims. But The Muslims and others backward classes of people in Assam are not being benefited as per recommendations of Sachar Committee.
The socio- economic and socio-political conditions of the Muslims and the other backward classes of people in Assam are also, by no means, better than the other states of India. Again, The IMDT Act ensured security to the religious minorities of Assam against arbitrary treatment in the name of foreigners (Bangladeshi). But in 2005 this Act was repelled by the honourable Supreme Court of India. This stood as a threat before the religious minorities of Assam. In that critical juncture of time Moulana Badaruddin Ajmajal founded the Assam United Democratic Front. The newly originated political party assured the religious minorities that it would fight for their safety, and development along with the other deprived sections of the society.
Though the religious minorities play an important role in the population pattern of Assam but even after fifty eight years of Independence the major critical issues of the community in Assam remained same. These issues are Land problems for the inhabitants of riverine (char) areas, rehabilitation of the victims of several past massacres and ethnic violence and settlement of foreigners issues as per the Assam Accord. Issues of citizen ID cards, implantation of the Assam District wise population pattern, Reflection in Service (in class III and IV posts) Act 1994.The newly formed party came forward with the above mentioned problems and assured their solution. A portion of the people of the religious minority community also established their faith on the party and came forward to support it.
Electoral performance of the AIUDF in Assam Politics
The electoral performance of AIUDF is very significant in Assam politics. The electoral performance of AIUDF since its inception is as bellow:
Table: 1.01
Performance of AIUDF in Assam Assembly election, 2006 & 2011
| Years | No. of seats
contested |
No. of Seats won | Total valid votes
won |
Percentage of
vote won |
| 2006 | 69 | 10 | 11,91500 | 9.02 |
| 2011 | 78 | 18 | 17,37,415 | 12.57 |
Twenty eight political parties including national, regional and ethnic based political parties participated in 2006 Assam Assembly election. In that election AIUDF entered into electoral politics of Assam for the first time and played a very significant role which is well reflected in the above table (1.01). The above table also reflects that the AIUDF contested in 69 seats out of 126 Legislative Assembly Constituencies and won a total of 10 seats. In the said election total 11, 91,500 votes were polled in favour of AUDF which is 9.02 percentage of the total polled vote.
In 2011 Assam Assembly election the performance of AIUDF was very remarkable. The AIUDF contested in 78 seats out of 126 Legislative Assembly Constituencies of Assam and this time this party was able to bag total 18 seats. This time total 1737415 votes were polled in favour of the AIUDF and the percentage of winning votes of the AIUDF was12.57. This time the AIUDF emerged as the second largest political party of Assam and has been playing the role of the main opposition party in the Assam Assembly.
Table: 1.02
Performance of AIUDF in 2009 & 2014 Parliamentary Elections
| Years | No. of seats contested | No. of Seats won | Total valid votes won | Percentage of vote won |
| 2009 | 09 | 01 | 19,54,901 | 16.10 |
| 2014 | 10 | 03 | 22,37,912 | 14,98 |
Table 1.02 highlights the performances of AIUDF in 15th Lok Sabha Election, 2009 and 16th Lok Sabha Election, 2014. In 2009 Parliamentary election the AIUDF participated in the parliamentary election first time and won one seat in the form of Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal, the party supremo from No. 4 Dhubri Parliamentary Constituency. In this election total 19, 54,901 valid votes were polled in favour of AIUDF and the percentage of the total vote that went in favour of AIUDF was 16.10.
Again in 2014 Parliamentary election the performance of AIUDF was also very impressive. In this election the AIUDF contested in 10 seats and became victorious in 3 seats. In this election total 2237912 valid votes were polled in favour of the AIUDFand the percentage of the total vote that went in favour of AIUDF was 14.98. This time the AIUDF became successful to create a good image even in the national level with three seats in the form of Party President Maulana Baduruddin Ajmal from No. 4 Dhubri Parliamentary Constituency, Sirajuddin Ajmal from No- 6 Barpeta Parliamentary Constituency and Radheshyam Biswas from No- 1 (S.C) Karimganj constituency.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is seen that the AIUDF is one of the important political parties of Assam and it has been playing a significant role in the politics of Assam since its inception. This study reflects that the AIUDF came into existence in a very critical point of time for the religious minorities of Assam just after the repelling of the IMDT Act. Various socio-economic and socio-political problems of the minorities and other backward classes of Assam were also one of the reasons after the formation of this party. This study also reflects that the AIUDF is an important political party of present time which has a very strong political base especially in the minority dominated areas of Assam. But this party has not been able to do anything remarkable for the said communities as it has neither been able to form government nor to be a part of the government either in the state or in the centre.
References:
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8. Sachar committee report (official source)
The writer is the Research Scholar, Md. Nasirul Hoque, Dept. of Political Science,Assam University, Silchar (Diphu Campus)