West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | TMC bagged Muslim votes but did nothing for community: Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of polls

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) bagged Muslim votes but did nothing for the community,

He further alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's politics helped the BJP grow in West Bengal.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Wednesday, ahead of the Assembly polls in the state, Owaisi said the people of Bengal were suffocated, and his party has joined hands with Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) to provide the alternative they are looking for.

"Our alliance with Humayun Kabir is aimed at stopping the exploitation of weaker sections in West Bengal and empowering them," he said.

"Our alliance will also try to strengthen the political leadership of Muslims," he added.

Adding on the alliance, Owaisi said, "Alliance is not for vote diversion, it is for Muslims' equality,"

The Hyderabad MP asserted development of minorities is a big issue in the state.

"TMC took Muslim votes and did nothing for their empowerment; offering Namaz on Eid of no use," the AIMIM leader said at the press meet.

Responding to a question on whether his party's presence in West Bengal will help the BJP, he said, "People in a democracy are free to vote for the party of their choice."

Kabir, who floated the AJUP after being suspended by the TMC amid the controversy over his proposed Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad district, said the coalition will contest 182 seats in the assembly poll.

He claimed the coalition could emerge as a decisive player in government formation if the election produces a fractured mandate.

Earlier at the conference, Kabir informed, "Today my brother Asaduddin Owaisi is with me… Together with the general public, our party, and AIMIM, we will contest the elections in West Bengal scheduled between April 23 and April 29. We will field around 182 to 192 candidates. Today at 4 PM, after opening the state party office, I will announce the candidates, and Owaisi sahib will also announce the seats he will contest."

Polling for the 294-member assembly will be held on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.