AIMIM exposed after Bihar polls, would not be a factor in Bengal: Mamata to TMC workers

West Bengal Chief Minister andTrinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday saidAsaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM would not be a factor in the upcomingassembly polls in the state as its role as ''B team of the BJP''has been exposed in the Bihar elections.

During a core committee meeting of Murshidabad, aMuslim-dominated district, Banerjee urged party leaders to putup a united fight against the BJP and the other divisiveforces.

''During the core committee meeting, Mamata di assuredus that AIMIM would not be a factor in Murshidabad district.

She told us that Owaisi's party was exposed after the Biharpolls,'' a local TMC leader said.

Murshidabad district comprises 22 assembly seats.

In the recently concluded Bihar elections, the AIMIMwon five seats in the Muslims-dominated Seemanchal region onthe border of West Bengal.

Earlier this month, Owaisi had met Pirzada AbbasSiddiqui of Hooghly district's Furfura Sharif to discuss theseat-sharing arrangement.

The AIMIM chief has already expressed his desire tofight the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The TMC had dubbed the AIMIM's entry in the state asan attempt to split the Muslim votes in the state and help theBJP.

The AIMIM has termed the allegation as ''baseless'' and''motivated''.

A deciding factor in nearly 100-110 seats in thestate, Muslims, who constitute 30 per cent of the population,till 2019, have acted as a bulwark of the TMC against itsrivals, with most of them voting in favour of the party,considering it to be a ''credible'' force that can resist thesaffron surge.

In a development that might upset several politicalequations in election-bound state, Siddiqui on Thursdayfloated a new political outfit, contending that he wishes tobe the kingmaker after the polls.

The influential Muslim cleric said his new outfit --Indian Secular Front (ISF) - plans to contest the electionsfrom all 294 assembly seats in the state.

Elections to the Bengal assembly are likely to be heldin April-May.