Bengal polls: AIMIM snaps electoral alliance with Humayun Kabir's party

Kolkata, April 10 (IANS) Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), on Friday, announced its decision to withdraw from its previously announced alliance with former Trinamool Congress legislator Humayun Kabir and the new political outfit floated by the latter for the forthcoming two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal.

AIMIM’s decision comes after a video-cum-audio clip was released by the Trinamool Congress on Thursday, where Kabir was reportedly seen making controversial statements with an unidentified person, hinting at making plots to divide the minority votes in West Bengal, thus benefiting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

AIMIM announced on its official social media handle X its decision to snap an electoral alliance with Kabir.

According to the statement, AIMIM contests elections with the sole aim of giving marginalised communities an independent political voice; however, amid the latest revelations over Kabir’s statement, it has decided to withdraw from the electoral alliance with the latter.

AIMIM has also clarified that it would contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal independently and without any electoral understanding with any other political party.

“Humayun Kabir’s revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal’s Muslims are. AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question. As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir’s party. Bengal’s Muslims are one of the poorest, neglected, and oppressed communities. Despite decades of secular rule, nothing has been done for them. AIMIM’s policy to contest elections in any state is to give the marginalised communities an independent political voice. We will be contesting the Bengal elections INDEPENDENTLY and will have no alliance with any party going forward,” the social media statement issued by AIMIM read.

On Thursday, Trinamool Congress accused Kabir of striking a Rs 1,000 crore deal with the BJP to divide minority votes in those West Bengal Assembly constituencies where his candidates are contesting in the forthcoming polls in alliance with AIMIM.

Trinamool Congress also released a purported clip where Kabir was reportedly heard conversing with an unidentified person on these lines.

The allegation from Trinamool Congress, however, drew a swift rebuttal from Kabir, who said the clip released by the Trinamool was a fake one and also threatened to sue Trinamool Congress for making such reportedly baseless allegations against him.