‘Only Muslim leadership can ensure justice in Bengal’: Owaisi ups the ante ahead of 2026 polls
The Statesman | 13 April 2026
Days after snapping ties with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi struck a combative note on Monday, saying his party will not tolerate any attempt to question the “integrity of the people of Bengal” as it gears up for the 2026 Assembly elections.
The break-up has reset AIMIM’s electoral strategy in the state, with the party now choosing to contest independently while projecting itself as a voice for Muslim political assertion in West Bengal.
“….We are just the voice of the people and we will never accept that someone questions the integrity of the people of Bengal…Our goal is just one – a political leadership of Muslims forms in Bengal and only then can justice be done. Otherwise, we will remain subservient. That is why we are contesting the elections. I am here to be a part of the election campaign of my party,“ Owaisi said during a campaign visit.
The development comes a day after Owaisi confirmed that AIMIM had formally severed its alliance with Kabir’s party. “We have left them now. We have no connection with his party now…” he told reporters on Sunday.
The decision followed a political controversy triggered by a “sting video” shared on X by the Trinamool Congress, in which Kabir was purportedly heard speaking about a “Rs 1,000 crore” deal. AIMIM said the episode raised serious concerns over the “integrity of Muslims”.
Kabir, however, rejected the allegations, claiming the video was generated using artificial intelligence.
AIMIM maintained that it “cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question,” and ended the alliance with immediate effect.
With the alliance now off the table, AIMIM has reiterated that it will contest the upcoming Assembly elections on its own.
Owaisi underlined the need for independent political leadership for minorities, arguing that long-standing “secular” governance in the state has not delivered justice. “The secular government has been in power in this state for a long time. Until an independent political leadership of minorities comes up, they will not get justice,” he said.
The party has framed its campaign around providing marginalised communities with an “independent political voice”, distancing itself from coalition politics.
The move aligns with AIMIM’s broader push to expand outside its traditional stronghold of Hyderabad, where it has increasingly contested elections in multiple states.
Political observers believe the party’s solo entry in West Bengal could alter equations in constituencies with sizeable minority populations. Critics say AIMIM’s entry could split votes in key seats, but the party insists it is expanding democratic choice and giving a voice to those left out.
The political atmosphere in West Bengal is heating up ahead of elections to the 294-member Assembly. Voting will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
In the 2021 Assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress swept to power with 213 seats, while the BJP became the main opposition with 77. The Congress and the Left Front failed to win any seats.