Humayun Kabir: Bengal's Self-Proclaimed 'Owaisi' Aims to Challenge Trinamool's Muslim Vote Base

Kolkata:

Humayun Kabir, the suspended Trinamool Congress MLA from Bengal who has announced plans to form a new political party this month, has highlighted his close relationship with potential ally Asaduddin Owaisi, sharing what seems to be an inside understanding between them. Kabir stated that the Hyderabad MP has assured him he would become the Bengal equivalent of the AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) leader.

"I have had discussions with Owaisi... He has given me his assurance that while he is Hyderabad's Owaisi, I am Bengal's Owaisi," Kabir informed reporters today.

"I will travel to Kolkata on December 10 to establish my party's committee and officially launch my party on December 2 with hundreds of thousands of supporters," added the legislator, who has been open about his intention to end Trinamool's dominance by capturing its Muslim support base.

A significant portion of Bengal's 27 percent Muslim population currently votes for the Trinamool Congress.

"I will establish a new political entity dedicated to Muslim interests. I plan to field candidates in 135 constituencies. I will become a decisive factor in Bengal's electoral landscape... Trinamool's Muslim vote bank will be eliminated," Kabir had declared on Sunday.

After being suspended by Trinamool following his proposal to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district, Humayun Kabir revealed he was in communication with AIMIM and intends to contest elections alongside them.

Neither AIMIM nor Owaisi has provided any comment on this matter. When questioned about his electoral plans for Bengal, Owaisi told NDTV that no decision had been made yet. "We need to discuss and decide, but I believe it's premature at this point," he had stated.

The AIMIM contested seven seats in Bengal during the 2021 elections but failed to secure any victories. However, with impressive results in Bihar, the AIMIM leader could anticipate better outcomes in Bengal.

In Bihar, AIMIM successfully retained all five seats it had won in 2020, and finished second in another. It also impacted results in nine constituencies, securing more votes than the victory margins. Of these influenced seats, 67% went to the NDA and 33% to the Grand Alliance.

The ruling party is concerned that a similar scenario might unfold in Bengal. The proposed alliance – either by dividing the Muslim vote or unifying the Hindu vote – could potentially benefit the BJP.

This is one reason why the Opposition bloc has labeled Owaisi as the BJP's "B Team" – an accusation the 56-year-old has vigorously denied.