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3 min readHyderabadMay 5, 2026 08:44 PM IST
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo Asaduddin Owaisi. (File Photo)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo Asaduddin Owaisi said on Tuesday that the “so-called secular parties will not be able to stop the BJP” and that Muslims should create their own political leadership. He was addressing a press conference held in Hyderabad, a day after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared.
Owaisi’s party fielded 11 candidates in the election. All of them were defeated, and the AIMIM got a total vote share of 0.09% in West Bengal.
Elaborating on his charge against “secular parties”, Owaisi said that in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP had tried their hand at “soft-Hindutva”.
“In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackery’s party and the undivided Nationalist Congress Party had all tried their hand at soft Hindutva. Similarly, in Bengal, we have seen Mamata Banerjee adopt the same tactics,” he said.
Despite this, Kejriwal lost power in Delhi and so did Banerjee in Bengal, he said, adding, “She has been in power for the past 15 years, and if you go to Malda, Musheerabad or if you read government documents, you will know that the most marginalised community in Bengal are the Muslims. If you see their socio-economic indicators, it clearly shows marginalisation. If you go to Malda, Musheerabad, you will know that Muslims, especially Muslim women, are living in abject poverty,” Owaisi said.
“This whole [image] creation of Mamata Banerjee as a liberal secular leader is not seen on the ground in West Bengal. And there was huge anti-incumbency,” Owaisi said.
“Muslims should try to create their own independent political leadership. Your vote is getting wasted because you are casting your vote in favour of so-called secular parties, which are not secular. They have failed to stop the BJP,” he said. He added that Mamata Banerjee had, in fact, helped the BJP in the past.
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“Historically, in 1998, the first BJP MP to get elected from West Bengal was Mr Tapan Singh, who 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.
“So, it is high time that Muslims unite and create their own political leadership. At least, you will have a voice to raise your marginalisation and injustice. Reposing faith in these so-called secular parties has not given any development or eradicated injustice and discrimination,” Owaisi said.
Owaisi congratulated the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which routed the Left Democratic Alliance (LDF) in Kerala. “I am sure that the MLAs of IUML (the Indian Union Muslim League) will be able to safeguard the interests of the Muslims in the state,” Owaisi said. IUML is an integral ally of the Congress in Kerala.
Owaisi added, “The people of West Bengal have given power to the BJP. We have to respect that decision. It is the people’s decision.”
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More
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