AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)chief Asaduddin Owaisi has introduced that his occasion will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP).
The announcement assumes significance because it signifies a brand new political grouping of minority forces in West Bengal. Mr. Kabir, a former Trinamool Congress MLA has gained prominence in central Bengal notably Murshidabad district over his calls to assemble a mosque styled on the traces of Babri Masjid. He had floated his outfit AJUP in December 2025, after being expelled from Trinamool Congress.
Mr. Owaisi made the announcement of going with AJUP on Sunday (March 22, 2026) in Hyderabad. He went on to accuse West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of doing injustice to Muslims within the state on a number of counts.
On Sunday (March 22), Mr. Kabir held a press convention in Murshidabad the place he introduced names of candidates contesting on 149 seats, together with candidates for high-profile Bhabanipur and Nandigram constituencies. At Bhabanipur AJUP has fielded Poonam Begum, whereas Shahidul Haque is the occasion candidate from Nandigram
The AJUP president shall be contesting from two constituencies in Murshidabad—Rejinagar and Naoda. Peerzada Khoayeb Amin has been fielded from the Bharatpur constituency vacated by Humayun Kabir. Yasir Haider, the previous son-in-law of state minister and Trinamool chief and Minister Firhad Hakim, has been fielded from the Raninagar constituency.
Mr. Kabir has held talks with Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Indian Secular Front on seat sharing within the upcoming polls, however couldn’t attain a consensus. The CPI(M) led Left entrance has allied with ISF and different left events like CPI(Marxist- Leninist) Liberation for the upcoming polls. The Congress occasion has determined to go alone within the elections.
These electoral understandings and alliance are vital as they pose a hazard for Trinamool Congress for splitting the occasion Muslim vote financial institution that has firmly supported it since 2011 meeting polls. Mr. Kabir mentioned that sustaining regulation and order and communal concord within the state are the principle points that his occasion is utilizing within the elections.
In 2021 Assembly polls the AIMIM tried to check political waters in West Bengal by warming up to ISF however couldn’t forge any settlement and the ISF went with Left Front and Congress. Language stays a problem for AIMIM which is taken into account a celebration of Urdu talking Muslims, whereas a lot of the 27 % Muslim voters in West Bengal has Bengali as their mom tongue.
Published – March 23, 2026 07:59 am IST
