The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) said on Tuesday it would contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from all the seats “with full force”, claiming that Muslim population in the state at present was well over 40 per cent.
At a press conference in Kolkata, AIMIM spokesperson Imran Solanki said, “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.”
The party outlined its political agenda, focusing on the issues concerning Muslims, Dalits, and tribals in the state during the press conference which a party leader said was held on the instructions of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. The party also discussed its expansion strategy and further plans for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Responding to allegations of exploitation of Muslim votes in the state, Solanki underlined that the entire stretch from the High Court to Fort William is Waqf property, which the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government benefits from. “The Trinamool takes advantage of Waqf properties. If the government wants Muslim votes, they should share the accounts of the Waqf Board with us,” Solanki said.
Hitting out at both the TMC and the BJP for the state of affairs in Bengal, he said, “They are two sides of the same coin as they come to power using Muslim votes. But do nothing for us. There is no university in Murshidabad (a district with a sizeable Muslim population). Look at the increasing number of RSS offices opening right under the nose of the TMC government. BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari is Mamata Banerjee’s product only. Just see how no case is registered against him despite his use of foul language, even as our people are framed in one case after another.”
Pointing out that the last Census was conducted in 2011, Solanki said the new census would reveal that the Muslim population in Bengal has now exceeded 40 per cent. “They come to power using Muslim votes, but they don’t do anything for us. We believe that it is because of the 90% Muslim vote that the TMC is able to form the government here,” he added.
Claiming that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is trying to fool the people of Bengal, Solanki said, “They start supporting minorities during the elections, but forget about them once the exercise is over.”
In an attempt to expand its party base, the AIMIM has launched a membership drive on the lines of the BJP’s. Supporters are being appealed to to join the party by giving a missed call on a dedicated number.