In West Bengal, Owaisi’s AIMIM fielded 11 candidates. All of them were defeated, and the AIMIM got a total vote share of 0.09%.
Here’s the rebased/rewritten article:
Owaisi Calls on Muslims to Build Independent Political Leadership After Bengal Polls
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday declared that “so-called secular parties” have consistently failed Muslim voters and urged the community to forge its own political leadership. Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, a day after West Bengal Assembly election results were announced, Owaisi pointed to his party’s own poor showing as a backdrop for his broader argument.
All 11 AIMIM candidates fielded in Bengal lost, with the party securing just 0.09% of the total vote share.
Secular Parties Accused of “Soft Hindutva”
Owaisi trained his sights on a string of opposition leaders, alleging that each had adopted majoritarian political postures while claiming secular credentials. He cited Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP in Delhi, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and the undivided NCP in Maharashtra, and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in Bengal as examples of parties that had “tried their hand at soft Hindutva.”
The strategy, he argued, had backfired for all of them. “Kejriwal lost power in Delhi and so did Banerjee in Bengal,” he said.
Sharp Criticism of Mamata Banerjee
Owaisi was particularly pointed in his assessment of the outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister, challenging her image as a secular and pro-minority leader. “If you go to Malda, Musheerabad, you will know that Muslims — especially Muslim women — are living in abject poverty,” he said, adding that government data on socio-economic indicators revealed deep marginalisation of the Muslim community under her 15-year rule.
He also drew attention to TMC’s historical ties with the BJP. “In 1998, the first BJP MP elected from West Bengal — Mr Tapan Singh — was supported by TMC. Mamata Banerjee got the first BJP MP elected in 1998. She was part of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Cabinet as Railway Minister,” he said.
A Call for Muslim Political Autonomy
Urging the community to stop banking on established parties, Owaisi said, “Your vote is getting wasted because you are casting it in favour of so-called secular parties that are not secular. They have failed to stop the BJP.”
He called on Muslims across the country to build independent political structures that could meaningfully represent their interests. “At least you will have a voice to raise your marginalisation and injustice,” he said. “Reposing faith in these so-called secular parties has not given any development or eradicated injustice and discrimination.”
A Note on Kerala
In contrast to his criticism elsewhere, Owaisi offered congratulations to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) for its strong performance in Kerala, where it defeated the Left Democratic Alliance. He expressed confidence that lawmakers from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key Congress ally in the state, would be able to protect Muslim interests.
On Bengal’s Verdict
Owaisi closed by accepting the democratic outcome in West Bengal without rancour. “The people of West Bengal have given power to the BJP. We have to respect that decision. It is the people’s decision,” he said.
