Kolkata: When All India Majlis-EIttehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi forged an alliance with the Furfura Sharif Pir Abbas Siddiqui at Hooghly in the first week of January, it created ripples in the already muddy political waters of Bengal.
But since then, a lot of water has flown under the Howrah Bridge. Indian Secular Front (ISF), the secular front floated by Siddiqui, has since then gained in strength and been courted by the Congress and CPI(M).
In fact, the main talking point at last Sunday’s Brigade Parade ground rally, called by the Left and Congress, was Siddiqui and the ISF.
There has been hectic parlaying on seat sharing by the Congress, Left Front and the ISF over the last few days. On Thursday, it was finally decided that the Congress and Left Front will fight in 5 seats each in Kolkata, while the ISF will contest in one.
Siddiqui, however, said that he can only divulge details after Friday’s joint press meet.
But there is no clarity on Siddiqui’s association with MIM. Zameerul Hasan, MIM president of the Bengal unit, refuses to acknowledge the tri-alliance of the Congress, Left and ISF.
“This alliance will not last. All parties will walk their own path… Mark my words,” Zameerul said.
But the MIM leader is not in favour of an alliance with ISF either.
“I cannot comment on the partnership between Owaisi and Siddiqui. I have no interest in this. If you take my personal view, then our association with ISF has only damaged our reputation. In fact, I would say that this has been a loss-making deal for us. Owaisi saab was tricked into bringing him to Furfura Sharif. Some people misguided Owaisi on this alliance. But this deal will not last either,” Zameerul remarked.
Explaining the pitfalls of such an alliance, Zameerul said: “I’m not a believer in these Pirs. They misguide the poor and unlettered Muslims for their own benefits. The ISF’s alliance with the Left and Congress will not last because everyone is thinking of their own good and not thinking collectively. MIM has no alliance with anyone, because Abbas Siddiqui has moved away from MIM on his own.”
Siddiqui himself is tight-lipped about the status of alliance with MIM. “Owaisi saab is a nice person. I’m grateful that he visited my place. But there are some people from the Bengal unit who were not in favour of this alliance. I had conveyed my feelings to Majid saab from MIM Hyderabad. I respect Assad saab a lot. He has been a four-time MP. But the alliance talks are the responsibility of ISF chairman Naushad Siddiqui. I cannot say more on this,” signed off Siddiqui.
