<p>Trinamool Congress is open to local alliances in Assam with parties that are aggressively fighting the BJP but "under no circumstance" will it ally with Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF, the saffron party's "B-team", said state unit chief Ripun Bora on Saturday.</p>.<p>Observing that the TMC will support the opposition's joint candidate in the upcoming presidential election, Bora, however, remained non-committal on whether the Mamata Banerjee-led party will enter into any understanding with the Congress in Assam as the grand old party is "not fighting BJP in the way it should have".</p>.<p>"The TMC will obviously support the opposition candidate in the presidential election. Our central leadership has authorised our state unit to forge alliances at the local level.</p>.<p>"However, there will be no alliance with the AIUDF under any circumstance as it is no longer an opposition party, it is the BJP's B-team," Bora told <em>PTI</em> on the sidelines of the party's first state executive meeting here.</p>.<p>On the possibility of an alliance with Congress, Bora said the state's largest opposition party is not fighting the BJP in the way it should have.</p>.<p>"TMC wants to join hands with parties fighting BJP aggressively," he said, without specifying any likely allies in the state.</p>.<p>Addressing a press conference at the same venue, Bora said, "We will not have an alliance with any party that has a soft spot for the BJP."</p>.<p>The state unit chief said the TMC will launch a massive membership drive with an aim to bolster its ranks by the end of this year.</p>.<p>"We have five lakh members now. We will launch an intensified membership drive once the floodwaters recede," he said.</p>.<p>Bora said the party will continue opposing the camping of dissident Maharashtra MLAs in a luxury hotel here, alleging that it was giving a bad name to the state as a ground for 'horse trading'.</p>.<p>"Our chief minister is emerging as an expert in horse-trading, encounters and spreading hatred. It does not augur well for our state," the former MP said.</p>.<p>Among the decisions adopted at the executive meet, which was also attended by Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, were demands for restoration of 'special status' for Assam, a "correct and updated" National Register of Citizens, resolving the issue of "doubtful voters" and regularisation of government jobs.</p>
<p>Trinamool Congress is open to local alliances in Assam with parties that are aggressively fighting the BJP but "under no circumstance" will it ally with Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF, the saffron party's "B-team", said state unit chief Ripun Bora on Saturday.</p>.<p>Observing that the TMC will support the opposition's joint candidate in the upcoming presidential election, Bora, however, remained non-committal on whether the Mamata Banerjee-led party will enter into any understanding with the Congress in Assam as the grand old party is "not fighting BJP in the way it should have".</p>.<p>"The TMC will obviously support the opposition candidate in the presidential election. Our central leadership has authorised our state unit to forge alliances at the local level.</p>.<p>"However, there will be no alliance with the AIUDF under any circumstance as it is no longer an opposition party, it is the BJP's B-team," Bora told <em>PTI</em> on the sidelines of the party's first state executive meeting here.</p>.<p>On the possibility of an alliance with Congress, Bora said the state's largest opposition party is not fighting the BJP in the way it should have.</p>.<p>"TMC wants to join hands with parties fighting BJP aggressively," he said, without specifying any likely allies in the state.</p>.<p>Addressing a press conference at the same venue, Bora said, "We will not have an alliance with any party that has a soft spot for the BJP."</p>.<p>The state unit chief said the TMC will launch a massive membership drive with an aim to bolster its ranks by the end of this year.</p>.<p>"We have five lakh members now. We will launch an intensified membership drive once the floodwaters recede," he said.</p>.<p>Bora said the party will continue opposing the camping of dissident Maharashtra MLAs in a luxury hotel here, alleging that it was giving a bad name to the state as a ground for 'horse trading'.</p>.<p>"Our chief minister is emerging as an expert in horse-trading, encounters and spreading hatred. It does not augur well for our state," the former MP said.</p>.<p>Among the decisions adopted at the executive meet, which was also attended by Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, were demands for restoration of 'special status' for Assam, a "correct and updated" National Register of Citizens, resolving the issue of "doubtful voters" and regularisation of government jobs.</p>