Hyderabad: With the West Bengal assembly elections approaching, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi is making a calibrated push to expand his party’s footprint in the state, banking on a fresh alliance and a focused seat strategy.The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has tied up with Aam Janata Unnayan Party, led by Humayun Kabir, with plans to contest at least 15 seats. While the alliance is looking at contesting over 180 constituencies together, sources said the AIMIM itself is likely to stay below the 20-seat mark. Owaisi indicated that his party will limit its direct contest and largely back AJUP candidates. He is expected to announce the final list of seats and candidates shortly. The nomination process begins on March 30, with the AIMIM planning to issue B-forms for phase I candidates on April 1, coinciding with a joint public meeting by Owaisi and Kabir in Murshidabad during the latter’s nomination filing. Owaisi said the tie-up with AJUP is not limited to the elections but is intended to continue as a broader effort towards socio-economic and political empowerment of Muslims. The first phase of the elections, covering 152 assembly constituencies, will commence with the gazette notification on March 30, with April 6 as the last date for nominations and polling scheduled for April 23. The second phase, spanning 142 constituencies, will see notification on April 2 and voting on April 29. Counting for both phases will take place on May 4. In the previous assembly election, the AIMIM contested six seats but failed to make an impact, polling less than 1 per cent votes and losing deposits. This time, however, the party is positioning the alliance as a platform to build a stronger Muslim political leadership in the state. Party leaders said groundwork has already been laid in districts such as Malda, Murshidabad, Dinajpur, Raiganj, Birbhum, Barasat, Basirhat, Uluberia, Rajarhat, Raghunathganj and Nadia. “Most of the assembly constituencies we will contest would be from these districts and towns,” said a senior leader.
