Owaisi’s AIMIM ties up with Humayun Kabir’s AJUP for Bengal polls; Trinamool Congress says ‘doesn’t matter’

Announcing the decision, Owaisi said, “We will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. We would want to strengthen AIMIM candidates and ensure our candidates succeed in every corner of the country and raise the voice of the poor and oppressed in the Assembly.”

Claiming that the cancellation of backward class certifications has adversely impacted Muslims, Owaisi targeted the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) with a veiled attack on its “so-called secularism.”

“They win votes in the name of secularism but become irritated when Muslims ask for their equal rights,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kabir announced AJUP candidates for 154 seats on Sunday, adding to the 15 nominees declared earlier. The leader, who floated his party after a fallout with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, has already said AJUP will contest 184 of the 294 seats.

He has fielded Poonam Begum from the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency, where Banerjee is set to face Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

Dismissing the new alliance, TMC leader Firhad Hakim said, “It doesn’t matter at all. We work for people throughout the year. These are all BJP-funded parties.”

Political analysts, however, believe Kabir’s entry into Bhabanipur and other constituencies could dent the TMC’s minority vote share, even if only marginally.