West Bengal 2021 elections: AIMIM to contest on 7 seats in last three polling phases

Finalising his party's Bengal poll plans, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday, confirmed that AIMIM will fight solo on seven seats in Bengal. Releasing the candidate list, AIMIM has chosen Itahar, Jalangi, Sagardighi, Bharatpur, Malatipur, Ratua and Asansol as the seats to fight from. Owaisi has decided to contest on seats in the 6th, 7th, and 8th phase of polling, inspite of ISF joining hands with Congress-Left instead of him. While third phase of polling is currently underway, The polling for the remaining phases will take place on April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The counting of votes shall take place on May 2. 

AIMIM to contest on 7 seats in Bengal

• Ithar : Mofakkerul Islam - 22 April
• Jalangi : Alsokuat Jaman - 26 April
• Sagardighi : Nure Mahabub Alam - 26 April
• Bharatpur: Sajjad Hossain - 26 April
• Malatipur : Maulana Motiur Rahman - 29 April
• Ratua: Sayeedur Rahman - 26 April
• Asansol Uttar: Danish Aziz - 26 April

Owaisi Vs Mamata

In February, Kolkata police denied permission to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi to hold a rally in Kolkata, not citing a reason with TMC denied having played a role in the cancellation of the rally. Owaisi alleged that TMC MPs who speak about freedom of expression, Constitution and dissent in Parliament had a different standard in Bengal, pointing out that the Model Code of Conduct had not come into force yet. He questioned the Mamata Banerjee-led government as to why his party had been singled out at a juncture when other parties including Congress, BJP and CPI(M) were permitted to hold rallies in the state. Owaisi has announced his Bengal poll plunge, extending support to Futura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui's Indian secular front (ISF). While Siddiqui has tied up with Congress and the Left, he has said that he will not contest seats where Owaisi will contest.

Buoyed by winning 5 of the 20 seats it contested in the 2020 Bihar state polls and retain 44 seats in the high-octave Hyderabad civic polls, Owaisi announced his decision to contest for Bengal polls. In retaliation, Banerjee levelled a massive 'money charge' against the AIMIM and accused it of colluding with the BJP, to which Owaisi reminded that the Chief Minister was part of the NDA under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Gujarat riots took place at that time. "She is trying to divert all her anger on Owaisi but she has not yet encountered a real Muslim," the AIMIM chief said. Apart from Bengal, Owaisi has tied up with AMMK for Tamil nadu polls and 2022 UP polls.