Led by Asaduddin Owaisi AIMIM companions with former Trinamool Congress chief Aam Janata Unnayan Social gathering (AJUP) West Bengal meeting polls counsel the Trinamool Congress (TMC) might face a tougher-than-expected problem in minority-dominated constituencies. Owaisi, a member of the Hyderabad Congress, is scheduled to go to the state on March 25, when his celebration is predicted to formally announce the seats it should contest.
AIMIM made its first foray into West Bengal within the 2021 meeting elections, fielding candidates in minority-majority constituencies throughout Malda, Murshidabad and Uttar-Dinajpur districts, together with Itahar, Jalangi, Sagardighi, Bharatpur, Marathipur and Asansol-Uttar. Sources mentioned the celebration is more likely to contest about eight seats unfold throughout Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur.
At a rally on the Darussalam celebration headquarters in Hyderabad on Sunday evening, Owaisi introduced the celebration’s resolution and took intention on the TMC. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “injustice in opposition to Bengali Muslims” and claimed that at the very least 500,000 OBC certificates have been cancelled.
“Regardless of these individuals being accused within the identify of secularism, there are a number of different examples of injustice. When the Majlis (AIMIM) talks about participation and participatory democracy, so-called secular events really feel threatened,” he mentioned.
AIMIM West Bengal president Imran Solanki informed The Indian Categorical, “All the things can be finalized on March 25 when our president visits Bengal. He (Humayun Kabir) is able to supply us numerous seats, however we’ve got requested for fewer seats if we’ve got a robust organizational base and a sensible probability of successful. Our predominant goal is to counter the BJP in Bengal whereas increasing our presence.”
“Not like final time, our president will go to Bengal a number of occasions and should keep for practically every week for campaigning. We’ve requested him for eight days. He’ll deal with at the very least three rallies daily. Different nationwide leaders can even marketing campaign,” he mentioned.
Solanki claimed that Muslim-majority districts akin to Malda and Murshidabad are underdeveloped and that unemployment is forcing many younger individuals emigrate. He additionally accused the state authorities of insufficient increased schooling and well being infrastructure. Bengal’s Muslims had been additionally dissatisfied with the federal government’s elimination of a number of ethnic minorities from the OBC checklist and the state authorities’s implementation of the Waqf legislation regardless of the CM initially saying it might resist.
The event comes as Bangal MLA Naushad Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Entrance (ISF) is finalizing a seat-sharing settlement with the CPI(M). Within the 2023 panchayat elections, the celebration had a powerful efficiency in a number of Muslim-majority camps, successful 336 seats. ISF has introduced candidates for 23 seats in Malda, Nadia, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Birbhum, Purba Medinipur and Pashim Medinipur.
“In 2021, we contested a number of seats however we weren’t adequately ready. This time, issues are totally different. Humayun Kabir met the ISF however they selected to align with the CPI(M). We can’t work with the CPI(M),” Solanki mentioned.
kabir issue
Final week, Humayun Kabir introduced that AJUP will contest 182 seats within the meeting polls. The celebration has fielded a candidate in Kolkata’s high-profile Bhavanipur constituency, the place Mamata Banerjee will face opposition chief Suvendu Adhikari.
Mr. Kabir himself will contest elections from two constituencies in Murshidabad: Reginagar constituency and Naoda constituency. The celebration introduced that the remaining candidates can be introduced in Kolkata on March 25 and the election manifesto can be launched on March 28. Key focus areas embrace well being care, inflation, legislation and order, and neighborhood concord.
The alliance might pose a problem for the TMC amid rising discontent amongst sections of the minority neighborhood following the Calcutta Excessive Court docket’s 2024 order canceling round 1.2 million OBC certificates issued since 2010. The court docket additionally placed on maintain 140 subcategories of OBC-A and OBC-B lists ready by the state authorities, with the BJP claiming that lots of the newly added teams belong to the Muslim neighborhood.
Kabir, who was suspended as TMC MLA after asserting plans to put the inspiration stone for a reproduction of Babri Masjid, is wanting to make use of his affect in Reginagar and Bharatpur. It helped consolidate minority votes within the Berrampore Meeting seat in opposition to TMC’s Yusuf Pathan, who defeated Adil Ranjan Chowdhury in 2024.
In the meantime, Owaisi has regained momentum with AIMIM’s efficiency in neighboring Bihar, the place the celebration gained 5 seats in Zemanchal area in final 12 months’s meeting elections.
