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Kolkata, West Bengal, India March 25: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday outlined the strategic objectives of his party’s alliance with Humayun Kabir-led Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, stressing that the central aim is to nurture and strengthen independent political leadership among the state’s Muslim community.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Owaisi said, “Our attempt is that a leadership from the Muslim minority emerges and strengthens in this election in West Bengal. We have decided the number of seats we will contest. This alliance is not limited to just this election; it will move forward to achieve our political objective.”
He confirmed that only two to three seats remain for final negotiations. “This is not a major issue. Our primary goal is to build and strengthen independent political leadership for the Muslim minority in this state,” he added.
Owaisi underscored the significance of autonomous political representation, citing state and national data that indicate poor socio-economic development in areas where the Muslim population lacks independent leadership. “Government data from West Bengal, the Government of India, and NSSO confirms that regions without independent Muslim political leadership show very poor social, economic, and human development indicators. There is an organic connection between development and independent leadership,” he noted.
The AIMIM chief also announced his upcoming visit on April 1 to support Humayun Kabir during the filing of his nomination papers. A public meeting and the distribution of B-forms to AIMIM candidates are also scheduled for the day.
Expressing gratitude, Owaisi said, “I thank Humayun Kabir Sahab for joining this alliance with us.” Reaffirming the partnership, Kabir described Owaisi as his “elder brother” and stressed that their alliance would extend beyond the 2026 polls. He said his party would contest 182 seats, out of which around eight would be allocated to AIMIM.
Kabir also announced a joint campaign schedule featuring 20 rallies across key regions of West Bengal, including Murshidabad, North Bengal, Malda, Birbhum, Uttar Dinajpur, Asansol and Kolkata. The first rally will be held in Behrampur on April 1, where both leaders will jointly address a large gathering.
“As long as I am alive and in politics, the journey we started together in 2026 will continue,” Kabir asserted.
The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.
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