GUWAHATI: Congress and All India United Democratic are on the verge of stitching their first alliance in the state and will contest in one of the three Rajya Sabha seats in the election this month in their first joint outing.

After former chief minister Tarun Gogoi - who has been rejecting AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal ’s offers for partnership for 14 years now- said on Tuesday that the two parties are all set for the collaboration, NEDA chairman and minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was quick to say that this alliance would be the biggest blot on ‘indigenous’ members of Congress.

“Is AIUDF untouchable?” Gogoi asked in response to Sarma’s remarks. “Not long back, when Sarma was in Congress, BJP had teamed up with AIUDF to put up a common candidate for a Rajya Sabha election in the state,” Gogoi said.

“The final decision (alliance with AIUDF) will be taken in New Delhi but 90% I am certain of the alliance. We will fight the assembly election together not just with AIUDF but with Left, even KMSS (peasants group led by Akhil Gogoi ), regional parties and even AASU, if they come forward, to oust BJP from the state,” Gogoi said.

Congress and AIUDF have also not decided on the common candidate but names like former Congress Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev is doing the rounds now.

In the run-up to the 2016 assembly election, Sarma had whipped up a strong wave in BJP’s favour by frequently talking of a tacit understanding between Congress and AIUDF. He even described that election as the last battle of Saraighat (where Ahoms defeated Mughals) between BJP and joint force of Congress and AIUDF.

On Tuesday when the two parties are actually set to forge the alliance, Sarma lost no time to hit out at it saying that this alliance would be rejected even by Congress members and their families.

“No person with self-respect would like to be a Rajya Sabha MP with AIUDF’s support. Anyone from indigenous communities of Assam who loves the Assamese community will not dare to become an MP with AIUDF’s nomination. Some members of Congress who have same characteristics as AIUDF will like the alliance but those Congress members, who are indigenous to the state will have to face the brunt for generations to come,”Sarma said.

“The family of the Congress man, who will contest elections with AIUDF support, till next seventh generation will have to live with the defamed image,” he added.

“We are not eyeing the third seat. Why does not Congress field its own candidate instead of joining hands with AIUDF? He added.

