Kolkata: Still trying to find the right ways for their entry into Bengal politics, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leaders from the state will hold talks with their national leaders in Hyderabad to hammer out the strategy for the Assembly polls.
Emboldened by the good show in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections last week, the MIM is raring to enter Bengal. The party has already made inroads in Bihar securing five key constituencies in Seemanchal region.
Earlier, the MIM leaders in Bengal had claimed that they were ready to contest in 230 seats and have drawn up their list of candidates. There are unconfirmed reports that the party has offered to fight the polls in alliance with the ruling TMC to pocket the minority votes.
The MIM’s Bengal convener Syed Zameerul Hassan said, “We have proposed seat sharing with the TMC in the Assembly polls next year. We have asked for a few seats, leaving the lion’s share to the TMC. The areas where we will not be putting up candidates, our supporters will canvass for TMC votes. We want to tell the minorities that we are not here to polarize votes. We are here for the development of the Muslims in the state.”
When asked about the number of seats where MIM plans to put up candidates, Hasan said he is asking for 94 seats of the total 294.
Owaisi had proposed a pre-poll pact to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the ground that his party will help the Trinamool Congress defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the hustings, reported Times Now. “Our leader has also proposed alliance in Bengal, which will be beneficial for both of us and we will help defeat the saffron party,” said Hasan.
But the ruling TMC warned the Muslims in Bengal of “minority extremists” from Hyderabad coming to polarise voters after the MIM leader’s announcement to contest the polls in Bengal.
Hasan is leaving for Hyderabad on Wednesday to talk to his leaders and chalk out the party’s next move in Bengal.
According to the 2011 Census, Muslims comprise around 27% of the state’s population.
