Kolkata, April 1 (IANS) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday launched his Assembly election campaign in West Bengal, addressing a rally in Murshidabad district in support of Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP).

At a public meeting in Naoda, Owaisi accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having a political understanding.

“The Trinamool Congress supremo and the Prime Minister are hand in glove in New Delhi and Bengal. In 2005, Mamata Banerjee threw files on the floor of Parliament, protesting against infiltrators in Bengal. In 2014, PM Modi started targeting poor Muslims as infiltrators. This is nothing but an understanding between the two. I am asking the Trinamool Congress to explain how the BJP MLAs’ strength grew here from 3 in 2016 to 77 in 2021,” he said.

The Hyderabad MP’s party has entered into an electoral alliance with Kabir’s AJUP for the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Owaisi alleged that the Trinamool Congress had failed to protect poor Muslims and Dalits in the state and had not delivered adequate welfare measures.

“But people have already chosen Humayun Kabir as a leader of Muslims and Dalits. So I decided to support him as an alliance partner. If the AIMIM-AJUP alliance wins in Murshidabad and other districts, we will support onion farmers through cold storage and agro-industries,” he said.

Addressing members of the minority community, Owaisi said, “If you have leadership, then your voice will also be raised. If you do not have a leader on your side, then you will be silenced. You will be suppressed. You will be crushed.”

Kabir, who was present at the rally, began his campaign speech by referring to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s recent rally at Naoda.

“I am fortunate that he sought votes in his own name, presenting himself as a Trinamool Congress candidate in place of Sahanaj Mumtaz Begum to quell dissent within the party over ticket distribution. I challenge them to defeat me by a margin of 70,000 votes,” he said.

Later, speaking to IANS about the alliance with AIMIM, Kabir alleged that the Trinamool Congress government, which has been in power for three consecutive terms, has failed the people due to corruption.

“This government should be uprooted from power. Under my leadership, we have joined hands with Owaisi sahib, and we will fight them in the elections,” he said.

–IANS

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