Party president deliberately sidelined me: suspended AIUDF MLA

Suspended AIUDF MLA Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuiya today alleged that party president Badruddin Ajmal had hatched a plan to keep him away from voting in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections for three seats in Assam.
"Ajmal uses the party to further his business interests and as I was against this, he made a plan to keep me away and subsequently sideline me," the MLA from Katigora told reporters here following his return from Mecca.
"I had fixed my programme for Umrah Haj in consultation with Ajmal. He had welcomed my programme, even gave me some money for the Haj as a token of love and I reached Mecca on January 24 with 20 family members," he said.

The suspended MLA claimed Ajmal suddenly directed him to return to Guwahati by February five and sent him a ticket but "my passport was with the travel agent and I could return only on the night of February seven after voting was over."
"Ajmal was looking for a chance to discredit me as I, along with senior leaders, had opposed him on several issues," he said.
He further alleged that Ajmal had recently gone to Mizoram to meet Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla at the behest of the Congress high command and "we suspect a huge amount of money was handed over to him to ensure the victory of Congress nominee Sanjay Sinh."

An AIUDF spokesman said the party had convened an emergency meeting to discuss further action against Mazarbhuiya following his baseless allegations.
The party had suspended Mazarbhuiya after he failed to turn up to vote during the Rajya Sabha elections.