Kolkata, Apr 11:
The fledgling alliance between Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM collapsed on Friday, barely a fortnight after it was stitched, after a purported video surfaced in which a person resembling Kabir was allegedly heard talking of a multi-crore deal with the BJP to dislodge TMC.
As the controversy exploded, Union Home Minister Amit Shah rejected suggestions of any BJP link with Kabir, saying the suspended TMC leader and the BJP were “like the North Pole and the South Pole” and could never be together.
Kabir, for his part, insisted that AIMIM’s decision to snap ties would have no bearing on his party’s prospects and declared that AJUP would now fight the assembly polls alone.
“I did not build my party depending on Owaisi. The fight I have started will continue, and I will not step back,” Kabir said during a live interaction on social media.
The break-up came after AIMIM announced on X that it was withdrawing from its alliance with Kabir’s party and would contest the West Bengal elections independently.
“Humayun Kabir’s revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal’s Muslims are. AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question,” the party said.“
As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir’s party. We will be contesting the Bengal elections independently and will have no alliance with any party going forward,” the post added.