AIMIM draws blank in Bengal, all candidates forfeit deposits as BJP secures majority
Hyderabad : The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) failed to win any seat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with all its candidates losing and forfeiting deposits, results announced on May 4 showed.
The party, contesting Assembly elections in the state for the first time, fielded candidates in 11 constituencies. These included districts with sizeable Muslim populations such as Murshidabad, Malda, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas, Paschim Bardhaman and Uttar Dinajpur.
Reacting to the outcome, AIMIM national spokesperson Adil Hussain said the party would assess its performance. “We will analyse the performance of our candidates and the party,” he said.
Alliance ended after sting operation controversy
AIMIM had initially entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), led by Humayun Kabir. The alliance was later called off after a sting operation allegedly captured Kabir discussing plans that suggested attempts to split Muslim votes.
In the previous Assembly elections, AIMIM had contested six seats in West Bengal. It did not win any seat then, with candidates forfeiting deposits across constituencies.
BJP secures majority, ends 15-year TMC rule
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 206 seats, securing a two-thirds majority and ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The results included a high-profile defeat of chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
The BJP’s campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The victory marks the party’s first government in the state.
Shift in voter base and political landscape
The outcome reflects a broader shift in voter alignment across regions and communities. The TMC recorded losses of several senior leaders and a decline in vote share.
Mamata Banerjee and other opposition leaders alleged electoral irregularities. The BJP now faces the challenge of governing a politically divided state while meeting expectations.
For the TMC, the result marks a transition to the opposition, signalling a more competitive political phase in West Bengal.
