Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM seals poll alliance with Humayun Kabir’s AJUP

KOLKATA/HYDERABAD: Asaduddin Owaisi, president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), on Sunday announced that the party will contest the upcoming Bengal assembly elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP). Kabir has been signalling the tie-up since Dec last year.

Owaisi told ANI, "I will hold a press conference in Kolkata with Humayun Kabir on March 25."

"My party, along with the alliance we are in, will contest 182 seats. AIMIM will be a partner and will contest approximately eight of those seats," Kabir said.

Trinamool hit out at the move, calling it "poll opportunism". Party spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said, "Everybody knows about Owaisi's political ventures with BJP. I perhaps know better because I was in BJP before. He had tried this in 2021. He had come down to Kolkata, went to Furfura Sharif, and met ISF leadership. He has contested elections in Bengal in the past and lost every time. He has a small party in Telangana. This does not matter in Bengal."

AIMIM's recent gains in Bihar came in Amour, Bahadurganj, Kochadhaman, Baisi and Jokihat — all close to the Bengal border.

Kabir shares an old link with AIMIM. In June last year, he claimed Owaisi had called him with an offer to join the party, to which he "politely said, no thanks".

The Bengal assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting on May 4.