AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday announced that his party will contest the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal in alliance with Humayun Kabir's Janata Unnayan Party. Speaking with ANI, Owaisi said that he will hold a press conference alongside Kabir on March 25 in Kolkata.
However, he did not announce anything regarding the seat-sharing formula between the two parties.
Kabir in December last year announced the formation of his own political party ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. The new outfit, named Am Janata Unnayan Party, has positioned itself as a challenger to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party.
Kabir revealed that his party intends to contest 182 seats across the state. As part of its strategy, the party will field a Muslim candidate against Banerjee in the prominent Bhabanipur constituency, making it a closely watched contest.
In a controversial statement, Kabir also pledged to build a mosque in Murshidabad similar to the Babri Masjid. He said efforts to collect funds for the project are already underway.
Kabir announces candidates on 15 seats
On Wednesday, the party released its first list of 15 candidates. Kabir himself will contest from two constituencies in Murshidabad district—Rejinagar and Naoda—marking a shift from Bharatpur, the seat he had previously won as a TMC candidate.
Kabir further indicated that the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) may contest a few seats in coordination with his party, hinting at a possible alliance for the elections.
The elections for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly are scheduled to take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes will be conducted on May 4.
