AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has announced an alliance with Humayun Kabir’s AJUP for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The partnership is being seen as a potential third front, especially in minority-dominated regions.
Asaduddin Owaisi Joins Hands with Humayun Kabir
Kolkata: A new and interesting equation has emerged in West Bengal politics. Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that his party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), will now contest the 2026 assembly elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP). This alliance is being seen as an emerging "third front" in the state.
The two parties will hold a joint press conference in Kolkata on March 25, where the alliance's full strategy and seat sharing will be announced. AJUP has already announced candidates for 182 seats, while AIMIM may field candidates for approximately 8 seats. This partnership could make the electoral contest more interesting.
Humayun Kabir's party has so far released a list of 18 candidates, including key constituencies like Raninagar, Bhagwangola, and Murshidabad. Kabir himself is preparing to contest from Bhagwangola, Naoda, and Rajnagar. All these areas are considered Muslim-majority, where the alliance's influence could be decisive.
The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases. Voting will take place in the first phase on April 23, 2026, for 152 seats, while the second phase will be held on April 29, for 142 seats. Counting of votes will take place on May 4, 2026. This time, the electoral contest is expected to be more intense than before.
The main battle in the state is between Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Consequently, an alliance between AIMIM and AJUP could change the electoral mathematics, especially in areas with a minority vote bank.
The Congress and Left parties performed poorly in the 2021 Assembly elections, leading to the lack of a strong third alternative in the state. The AIMIM-AJUP alliance is attempting to fill this void and present itself as an alternative.
Political analysts believe that while this alliance may not reach power, it could split votes in several seats. This impact, especially in border and Muslim-majority areas, could pose a challenge to both the TMC and the BJP. All eyes will be on the coming days to see how much influence this alliance exerts on Bengal politics.
