A new political alignment ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections came into focus on Wednesday as Asaduddin Owaisi and Humayun Kabir jointly addressed a public rally in Murshidabad.
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The rally, held at Dubtala ground in Naoda, marked the first major public show of strength following the formal announcement of the alliance between Kabirโs newly launched Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on March 25.
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Addressing the gathering, Owaisi launched a sharp attack on both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Referring to past electoral trends, Owaisi said that despite supporting different parties over the yearsโincluding the Congress, the Left Front, and more recently the TMCโthe minority community had not achieved the desired outcomes.
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โWe had become nothing more than voting machines. This time, we must ensure the victory of our own leader so that leadership can emerge from within the community,โ he said, backing Kabir. He emphasised that the alliance aims not just at electoral gains but at nurturing leadership within the Muslim community in the state.
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โIt is the Muslims of Bengal who will bring change. We want to empower you to become leaders,โ Owaisi added.
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Responding to allegations from the TMC that AIMIMโs entry would split votes, Owaisi countered by invoking historical political positions. He claimed that such accusations ignored past alignments and statements made by rival leaders, asserting that the narrative around infiltration had long existed in state politics.
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Urging voters to make a decisive choice, Owaisi called for an end to what he described as โfear politics,โ appealing to the electorate to reject both major parties in the upcoming polls.
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In a significant announcement, Owaisi said the alliance would extend beyond the 2026 Assembly elections and continue into the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, signalling a long-term political strategy.
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The rally highlighted the emergence of a new political equation in West Bengal, with both leaders adopting an aggressive stance against established players. Political observers note that the impact of this alliance on the electoral landscape will become clearer as the campaign progresses.