Owaisi declares: AIMIM to fight at least 2 seats in WB polls; no alliance partner on board

In a big announcement on Saturday, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi declared that his party will contest at least two seats in the West Bengal Assembly polls. Moreover, he revealed that AIMIM will not have an alliance with any other party. This assumes significance as there was speculation of an understanding between Owaisi's party and influential Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui's party Indian Secular Front. ISF is currently a part of the Congress-Left Front alliance in the state.

Moreover, the Hyderabad MP added that AIMIM is likely to contest more seats too. At present, the polling for 47 seats in phase 1 of the WB Assembly election is underway. The polling for the remaining phases will take place on April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The counting of votes shall take place on May 2. 

AIMIM's gradual nationwide expansion

With 1 MP and 7 MLAs in Telangana, AIMIM is considered a formidable force in Hyderabad. In recent years, however, the party has spread its wings to different parts of the country including Maharashtra and Bihar. For instance, AIMIM bagged one Lok Sabha seat and two Assembly seats in Maharashtra in 2019. Moreover, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party's candidates won from the Sahebganj, Chhatarpur, Narpatganj, Pranpur, Barari, and Raniganj constituency in the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls. Refuting the accusation that AIMIM was responsible for Mahagatbandhan's defeat, Owaisi pointed out that NDA's victory margin on the aforesaid seats was more than the votes secured by his party.

In the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election, AIMIM had the best strike rate among all other parties by winning 44 out of the 51 wards in which it fielded candidates. Recently, the party contested the local bodies' election in Gujarat in an alliance with Chhotubhai Vasava-led Bharatiya Tribal Party winning 17 seats in the Municipalities of Modasa, Godhra and Bharuch. Furthermore, the Owaisi-led party has joined hands with AMMK for the upcoming TN Assembly polls and is fielding candidates on three seats. On the other hand, it will go into the 2022 UP polls as a part of the 'Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha' led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, the chief of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.