AIMIM, AJUP flag poor socio-economic condition of Bengal Muslims, aim to erode Trinamool’s minority support

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that his party will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP). He has also visited the State and addressed a press conference with Mr. Kabir by his side.

The announcement of the alliance assumes significance as it indicates a new churn in West Bengal politics ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls. One of the most crucial factors that will determine the outcome of the 2026 polls is whether the Muslims will continue to support Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or shift their loyalties.

Battle of Bengal: On the West Bengal Assembly election 2026

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has not fielded a single Muslim candidate so far, has already given up on the prospect of securing Muslims votes for the principal Opposition party in the State. Therefore, it is left to the Left parties, the Congress, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and the new grouping of AIMIM and AJUP to seek the support of Muslims, who comprise 27% of the electorate.

The Trinamool Congress, under Ms. Banerjee’s leadership, has retained the support of Muslims since 2011. But after three consecutive terms, the party is facing difficult questions.

“She goes and offers prayers during Id. Does that fill the belly of Muslims?” Mr. Owaisi asked while addressing the media in Kolkata. The AIMIM leader said that the human development indicators of Muslim-dominated districts in West Bengal remain abysmally poor. 

Mr. Owaisi refused to be drawn into the debate over the construction of a mosque styled on Babri Masjid in Murshidabad, a project that has given political momentum to his ally Mr. Kabir. Instead, he spoke about the representation of Muslims in State government jobs. Mr. Owaisi said that the percentage of Muslims in government jobs stands at 7% whereas their population is 27%.

Proportional representation in jobs and elected offices is a crucial question among the Muslim in the State.

Mr. Owaisi and several other Muslim leaders of West Bengal referred to the Sachar Committee report, which revealed the socio-economic backwardness of the community during the Left Front rule. 

During the 15 years of the Trinamool Congress rule, the number of Muslims in government jobs has remained low. The party has given tickets to 47 Muslim candidates out of 291 announced for the 294-seat Assembly—just about 16%, much lower than their population share.  

The number of Muslim MLAs in the outgoing 16th West Bengal Legislative Assembly remains at about 14%— lowest in the past two decades.

Mr. Kabir, who was suspended by the Trinamool Congress in December 2025, has often argued that Muslims, forming 27% of the electorate, deserve a Deputy Chief Minister.

Mr. Owaisi, however, said, “We are in the fight for Chief Minister’s post, not a Deputy Chief Minister.”

There have been attempts in the past to forge an alliance of parties that can draw Muslim support away from the Trinamool Congress. However, there has been limited success.

In the 2021 Assembly polls, the CPI(M)-led Left Front, along with the Congress, allied with the ISF. The alliance won only one assembly seat—Bhangar—where ISF leader Nawsad Siddique was elected.

CPI(M) State secretary Md. Salim had reached out to Mr. Kabir a few months ago, but the talks did not result in any electoral understanding. 

For the 2026 elections, since the Congress has decided to go solo, the Left Front and the ISF have agreed on a seat-sharing arrangement.

Mr.Kabir launched his Aam Janata Unnayan Party in December 2025. By promoting the cause of a mosque styled on the Babri Masjid and accusing the Trinamool Congress leadership of only seeking Muslims votes and doing nothing for the socio-economic development of the community, Mr. Kabir has managed to gain political limelight.

The AJUP leader has announced candidates for about 149 seats, including key constituencies like Bhabanipur and Nandigram. Mr. Kabir, who has influence in Murshidabad district, will himself contest from two constituencies—Rejinagar and Naoda.

Though no seat-sharing deal has been finalised between the AJUP and the AIMIM, leaders of both parties have announced that they would hold more than a dozen of joint rallies.

This is not the first time Mr. Owaisi has tried to test the political waters in West Bengal. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the AIMIM tried to warm up to ISF but could not forge any agreement. The ISF joined hands with the Left Front and the Congress. 

Language remains a challenge for the AIMIM, which is considered a party of Urdu-speaking Muslims, whereas most of the Muslim population of West Bengal is Bengali-speaking. With Mr. Kabir as an ally, the AIMIM hopes to bridge the language divide and make a dent in the Muslim support base of the Trinamool Congress.

Published – March 28, 2026 08:10 pm IST