January 13,2026
Kamal Kumar Biswas
Senior Correspondent
As West Bengal looks ahead to the 2026 Assembly elections, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, is stepping up efforts to expand its organizational base in the state, with a renewed focus on districts in North Bengal.On Tuesday evening, AIMIM held a joining meeting at Shiliguri More in the Uttar Nahit Sansad area of the Karanji Gram Panchayat, under the Kushmandi Assembly constituency in South Dinajpur district. Nearly 50 supporters from different political parties formally joined AIMIM, signaling what party leaders described as growing disillusionment with the state’s established political forces.The event was attended by several senior party figures, including district president Ummed Ali Khan, district vice-president Haidar Ali, Kushmandi block leader Mozammel Hossain, and Rahul Rabbani, among others.
Speaking at the gathering, Mr. Khan said that voters were increasingly turning away from what he described as the “communal politics of the BJP” and the “unfulfilled promises” of the Trinamool Congress government. “The Trinamool Congress failed to translate its election promises into reality,” he said. “As a result, people are losing faith and are joining our party continuously.”
AIMIM, headquartered in Hyderabad, has over the past decade sought to establish itself as a national political force, contesting elections across multiple states. In West Bengal’s 2021 Assembly elections, the party contested only six seats. This time, however, party leaders say they are aiming much higher, with plans to field candidates in more than 100 constituencies across the state.Political analysts note that while AIMIM’s electoral impact in Bengal remains limited so far, its expanding grassroots activity—particularly in minority-dominated and politically competitive regions—could alter local dynamics as the election approaches.With nearly few months to go before the polls, Tuesday’s event in Kushmandi underscores AIMIM’s ambition to position itself as an alternative voice in Bengal’s crowded political landscape, even as larger parties prepare for what is expected to be a fiercely contested election.
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