Hyderabad, 10 April (H.S.):

Hyderabad–based All India Majlis‑e‑Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has abruptly severed its electoral alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) in West Bengal, citing concerns that recent remarks attributed to Kabir undermine the integrity and dignity of Muslims. The decision, announced from Hyderabad on Friday, marks a sharp reversal in AIMIM’s strategy for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and signals a recalibration of the party’s minority‑vote positioning in the state.

The move comes just a day after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) released a purported sting video of Humayun Kabir, a former TMC leader who broke away last year to form AJUP. In the clip, which has not been independently verified, Kabir is heard allegedly discussing links with BJP leaders, including West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while floating claims of a large‑scale financial arrangement with the BJP.

The video also reportedly contains remarks portrayed as “easy to fool Muslims” and references to the Babri Masjid issue, along with an alleged demand for ₹200 crore as advance funding to help shift minority votes in Bengal. TMC has publicly demanded an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the matter, alleging a secret understanding between Kabir and the BJP to influence the electoral outcome.

In a statement issued from Hyderabad on Friday morning, AIMIM said it could not remain associated with any statements or narratives that “bring into question the integrity of Muslims.” The party added that Kabir’s alleged “revelations” had exposed how vulnerable Bengal’s Muslim community is in the current political climate.

“A Humayun Kabir’s revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal’s Muslims are. That AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question. As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir’s party,” read the party’s post on X.

The Hyderabad‑based outfit has now opted to contest the West Bengal Assembly elections independently, abandoning the AJUP tie‑up barely weeks before polling.

Kabir, who denies all the allegations, has dismissed the video as “AI‑generated” and a politically motivated smear campaign orchestrated by TMC leadership. He has accused the ruling party of creating a witch‑hunt to divert attention from other governance issues and has threatened to file defamation cases against senior TMC leaders.

Supporters of AJUP argue that the sting operation is part of a broader effort to discredit smaller regional outfits and obstruct the emergence of a third frontier in Bengal’s highly polarised party landscape. Yet, the political fallout has already been significant, with the exposure forcing AIMIM to perform a swift U‑turn and reaffirm its image as a defender of Muslim self‑respect rather than a mere vote‑bank broker.

The Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results due on May 4. The poll will decide the fate of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s third consecutive term, as the TMC faces a tough challenge from the BJP, which is projecting Suvendu Adhikari as its chief‑ministerial face, and from opposition coalitions in certain pockets.

With AIMIM now choosing to contest alone, the Hyderabad‑based party is expected to re‑calibrate its list of seats and focus on Muslim‑dominant pockets where it can position itself as a direct alternative to both TMC and BJP. The move is also seen as part of Owaisi’s broader ambition to expand AIMIM’s footprint beyond its core Telangana–Hyderabad base into states like West Bengal, Bihar and Maharashtra through independent, issue‑based campaigns rather than risky alliances.

By dissociating sharply from Kabir in the wake of the sting video, Owaisi has underlined that any perceived attempt to instrumentalise or undermine Muslim voters will be treated as a red line. The decision also positions AIMIM as a “clean” Muslim‑centric challenger in Bengal, distancing itself from controversial figures and potentially wary of the narrative that the party might be used as a proxy to fragment the minority vote.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar