West Bengal Polls: Amid video row, Owaisi's AIMIM ends alliance with Humayun Kabir

Kolkata: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, withdrew from its alliance with Humayun Kabir-led Aam Aadmi Unnayan Party on Friday, ahead of the two-phase assembly elections in West Bengal. AIMIM also stated that it will contest the assembly elections in West Bengal independently, without any electoral agreements with any other political parties.

AIMIM's decision came a day after Trinamool released a video in which a person resembling Kabir was allegedly heard talking with an unidentified person and reportedly involved plans to divide the minority vote in Bengal with the help of BJP. The video allegedly included details of a ₹1,000 crore deal to split the minority vote bank in some Murshidabad constituencies.

The veracity of the video has not been confirmed by ET.


AIMIM announced on X that it was withdrawing from its alliance with Kabir's party. "Humayun Kabir's revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal's Muslims are. That AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where integrity of Muslims is brought into question. As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir's party. Bengal's Muslims are one of the poorest, neglected and oppressed communities. Despite decades of secular rule, nothing has been done for them," AIMIM said in a post on X. "AIMIM's policy in contesting elections in any state is to ensure that marginalized communities have an independent political voice. We will contest the Bengal elections independently and will not align with any party going forward," the AIMIM announced.

Kabir has denied the allegations and maintained that the video was fake and AI-generated. Meanwhile, responding to a question regarding Humayun Kabir's claim that the BJP offered him ₹1,000 crore, Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that his party would "rather sit in the Opposition for 20 years than align with those people who talk of Babri Masjid".