AIMIM to kick off Bengal campaign with Owaisi's rally on Feb 25

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisiwill kick off his partys poll campaign in West Bengal onFebruary 25 with a rally in minority-dominated Metiabruz areaof the city.Owaisi, who after AIMIMs good show in the 2020 Biharassembly poll has announced that it will contest the Bengalelection, has been discussing a possible alliance with FurfuraSharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui, who had recently floated theIndian Secular Front ISF.This will be our party supremo AssaduddinOwaisis first rally in the state in this poll season. Owaisi iswell aware that Muslims here are mostly Bengali-speaking andwont support him.

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisiwill kick off his party's poll campaign in West Bengal onFebruary 25 with a rally in minority-dominated Metiabruz areaof the city.

Owaisi, who after AIMIM's good show in the 2020 Biharassembly poll has announced that it will contest the Bengalelection, has been discussing a possible alliance with FurfuraSharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui, who had recently floated theIndian Secular Front (ISF).

''This will be our party supremo AssaduddinOwaisi's first rally in the state in this poll season. He willkick off our party's poll campaign in the state,'' AIMIM statesecretary Zameerul Hasan said.

The Metiabruz seat in the city isminority-dominated and falls in Diamond Harbour Lok Sabhaconstituency which is represented by Abhishek Banerjee,the nephew of TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

AIMIM has already come up with posters and theslogan 'Awaz uthaneke waqt aa chuka hain (time has come toraise your voice)'.

Owaisi's proposed rally has evoked sharp reactionsfrom the ruling TMC.

''The AIMIM is nothing but a proxy of BJP. Owaisi iswell aware that Muslims here are mostly Bengali-speaking andwon't support him. In Bengal, Muslims stand firmly withMamata Banerjee,'' senior TMC leader Sougata Roy asserted.

Owaisi had visited West Bengal on January 3 to meetSiddiqui and had said the ruling TMC should introspect andfind out what worked in BJP's favour in the state during the2019 Lok Sabha election in which it won 18 of the 42 seats.

''TMC should analyse why its members were leaving,'' hehad said.

Prominent Muslim leaders in West Bengal have claimedthat the parties are apprehensive that political equations inthe polarised state are set to witness significant changes asthe sway of non-BJP parties over minorities appears to be setfor a stiff challenge with the entry of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in the poll scene.

According to a senior leader of the Hyderabad-basedparty, Owaisi has seen in West Bengal a fertile ground for hisexpansion plans as Muslims constitute around 30 per cent ofthe state's population.

Of the 30 per cent at least 24 per cent are Bengali-speaking.

Election to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly islikely to be held in April-May.