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Just weeks before West Bengal goes to the polls, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM has abruptly severed ties with the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), led by suspended Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir. The decision has sent shockwaves through the state's political landscape, particularly as Owaisi has also scrapped a high-profile campaign tour that would have seen the two leaders sharing a stage across Birbhum, Asansol and Kolkata.

 

The collapse of the alliance follows the release of a "sting video" by the Trinamool Congress, in which Kabir is purportedly heard discussing a ₹1,000 crore deal with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to undermine the ruling party. Although Kabir has dismissed the footage as an AI-generated fabrication intended to malign him, the AIMIM moved quickly to distance itself.

 

In an online statement, the party declared that it could not associate with anyone whose integrity regarding the Muslim community had been called into question, adding that Kabir's alleged revelations highlighted the vulnerability of the very people they seek to represent.

 

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 As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir’s party.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…

— AIMIM (@aimim_national) April 10, 2026

 

By choosing to go solo, the AIMIM is positioning itself as the only "independent political voice" for Bengal’s marginalised communities. The party argued that despite decades of "secular rule," the state's Muslim population remains among the poorest and most neglected in India. This pivot to an independent campaign is a significant gamble, especially coming on the very day Owaisi was meant to kick off joint rallies intended to consolidate the minority vote.

 

The political fallout has been swift and sharp. The Trinamool has demanded an Enforcement Directorate probe into the video’s claims, while Kabir has threatened defamation suits, accusing his former party of insulting the community with "cheap fakes." Meanwhile, the BJP has laughed off the controversy. Senior leader Dilip Ghosh termed the episode "cheap theatrics," mockingly suggesting that a leader of Kabir's standing wouldn't even command a fraction of the alleged deal and describing him as a politician without a base.

 

Kabir, the MLA for Bharatpur in Murshidabad, has been a controversial figure since his suspension from the Trinamool following his decision to lay the foundation for a mosque styled after the Babri Masjid. 

 

Also read: New alliance in Bengal? Owaisi, Kabir share stage at a rally