• By Aditya Jha
  • Thu, 13 Mar 2025 03:57 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

In a major announcement, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Thursday announced that it will contest in all the constituencies of West Bengal in the 2026 state legislative election with "full force". The party claimed that the Muslim population in West Bengal is over 40 per cent and the party is considering expanding its wings in the state.

While announcing the decision, the party stated that the agenda of AIMIM will be to empower Muslims, Dalits, and tribals in the state. The party also claimed that while the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) wins because of the Muslim votes, she does nothing for the community, adding that both BJP and TMC are the two sides of the same coin.

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AIMIM spokesperson Imran Solanki stated that the party got a great response in the panchayat elections, giving a sign that the people are not satisfied with the current government in the state. “We are here to make a big announcement. We fought in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi. In Bengal, we will fight from all seats. In the last panchayat elections, the AIMIM received 60,000 votes in Malda, 25,000 in Murshidabad, and from 15,000 to 18,000 in other areas,” Solanki was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

Solanki further stated that the decision was taken after a party meeting that included party chief Asaduddin Owaisi. He also said that the decision was taken to grow the party in the different regions of the country. Solanki also claimed that TMC gets monetary benefits from the Waqf properties of the state. “The Trinamool takes advantage of Waqf properties. If the government wants Muslim votes, they should share the accounts of the Waqf Board with us,” he said.

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He also claimed that TMC is able to form a government in the state because 90 per cent of the Muslims vote for Mamata Banerjee's party. “They come to power using Muslim votes, but they don’t do anything for us. We believe that it is because of the 90 per cent Muslim vote that the TMC is able to form the government here,” Solanki added.

While the state legislative election in West Bengal is due in 2026, all the political parties have already started making strategies for the key state. While TMC will try to repeat the government in the state, BJP will fight to form the government for the first time in the state. Apart from this, CPI(M) and Congress will also play a major role in the state polls.