All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to field candidates in only 13 seats of poll-bound West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. Earlier, there were reports that the party is contemplating to field candidates in all seats of upcoming West Bengal assembly elections.

“Out of the 22 seats in the district, we will field candidates in only 13. Apart from this, the party will not field candidates in any other district of the state. The seats in Murshidabad are inhabited by minorities. Asaduddin Owaisi’s party has decided to fight in those seats. These instructions have come from the top leadership of the party in Hyderabad,” said AIMIM’s Asadullah Sheikh.

In Murshidabad district, the total minority vote is about 70 per cent. While, in the entire state minority vote is between 27 per cent and 30 per cent including Muslims, Christians and Buddhists. There is 78 assemblies where Muslim vote is 30 to 94 per cent.

The decision by AIMIM to fight in West Bengal was taken after its good show recently in the Bihar assembly elections 2020.

A few days back leaders from Bengal were called for a meeting in Hyderabad with Owaisi. A possible alliance with Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui, who had recently floated the Indian Secular Front (ISF), was also discussed. But later Siddiqui formed an alliance with Left Front and Congress.