West Bengal Election: Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM breaks alliance with Humayun Kabir’s party day after TMC sting video

West Bengal Election: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has withdrawn its alliance with the party led by former TMC leader Humayun Kabir for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections.

The AIMIM said that it cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question following revelations attributed to Kabir.

“Humayun Kabir's revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal's Muslims are. That AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where integrity of Muslims is brought into question. As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir's partym” the party said in a post on X on Friday, 10 April.

West Bengal is voting in two phases – 23 and 29 April. The results will be announced on 4 May.

Video of Humayun Kabir

The decision comes a day after the Trinamool Congress on Thursday shared a purported video of Humayun Kabir, in which the former party leader alleged proximity with the BJP's leader of opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and demanded an ED probe into the matter.

At a press meet, the TMC circulated the video in which Kabir was also purportedly heard saying that he was ready to go to "any extent" to unseat West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Mint could not independently verify the contents video.

The video also shows purported remarks attributed to Kabir suggesting that "it is easy to fool Muslims" and references to the Babri Masjid issue, along with an alleged demand for ₹200 crore as advance funding.

Kabir, who was suspended by the TMC late last year and subsequently formed the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), dismissed the video as "AI-generated" and accused the TMC leadership of orchestrating a smear campaign against him. He said he would initiate defamation proceedings against senior party leaders.

'Marginalised despite decades of secular rule.'

AIMIM, in its Friday statement, also criticised the continued socio-economic marginalisation of Muslims in West Bengal despite decades of ‘secular’rule. The party was clearly referring to the TMC government that has been in power in West Bengal under chief minister Mamata Banerjee since 2011.

AIMIM, however, did not take any party's names. “AIMIM’s policy in contesting elections in any state is so that the marginalised communities have an independent political voice,” the statement said.

The move is consistent with AIMIM's recent expansion efforts beyond its traditional base in Hyderabad, where it has sought to establish a presence in multiple states by directly contesting elections.

Humayun Kabir was expelled from TMC following a controversial proposal to build the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad. He then formed the Aam Janata Unnayan Party to contest elections in West Bengal.

(With agency inputs)