AIMIM announces first West Bengal poll candidates list
The West Bengal Assembly has 294 seats, and Trinamool Congress has governed the state continuously since 2011, shaping its political landscape
Hyderabad: The air of political anticipation is thick in West Bengal, and the All India Majlis‑e‑Ittehad‑ul‑Muslimeen (AIMIM) has just thrown its first bolt into the storm. On Friday, April 3, the party released its first list of 12 candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, marking its formal entry into what promises to be a fiercely contested battle in the state.
The list, concise but carefully crafted, reflects AIMIM’s attempt to carve out a niche in a region where the Muslim voter base is large but highly fragmented. For the party, this is more than just contesting seats—it is about signaling to Bengal’s minority voters that there is now a new political voice at the table, one that wants to speak specifically for their concerns.
Here are the first names on AIMIM’s Bihar‑style list for Bengal:
- Misbah ul Islam Khan from Kandi
- Rejaul Kareem from Sujapur
- Advocate Mohammed Mostahid Haque from Motabari
- Tasir Shaik from Morari
- Monaem Sardar from Barasat
- Mehbub Alam from Karandighi
- Asadul Shaik from Suti
- Shabana Parvin from Basirhat
Each name carries with it a local story—of community ties, family networks, and years of grassroots work in their respective constituencies. For instance, in places like Raghunathganj and Kandi, where Muslim populations are significant, the contest for AIMIM is not just about winning but about proving that a newly arrived party can mobilise voters away from the established players. In Asansol Uttar, a historically industrial belt, Danish Aziz’s candidacy is likely to be read as an attempt to connect with Muslim workers and their families living in a complex socio‑economic landscape.
In constituencies such as Barasat, Basirhat, and Habra, AIMIM is directly stepping into the political backyard of the Trinamool Congress, which has held power in West Bengal since 2011 under Mamata Banerjee. The inclusion of Shabana Parvin in Basirhat—a Muslim woman candidate—also signals a subtle but meaningful push to highlight representation and gender within minority politics, at a time when larger parties are under pressure to project more inclusive faces.
The way the election schedule is unfolding only adds to the drama. The Gazette notification for Phase one of the West Bengal Assembly polls was issued on March 30, with Phase two set to be notified on April 2. The stage is being set in a carefully timed sequence that gives parties a narrow window to finalise strategies and lock in candidates. The last day to file nominations for Phase one is April 6, and for Phase two it is April 9, with the scrutiny of nominations happening on April 7. The deadline for withdrawing candidature is April 9 for Phase one and April 13 for Phase two, ensuring that the final list of candidates remains in flux until the very last moment.
The rule of the game is that the elections must be completed before May 6, leaving little room for error or last‑minute delays. Behind the scenes, in district offices and local party headquarters, election workers are busy preparing for the final sprint: verifying voter lists, arranging transportation for agents, and coordinating last‑minute meetings with local leaders and community elders.
West Bengal itself is a giant of an electoral state, with 294 Assembly seats that together determine the fate of the state government. The sheer scale of the contest means that every seat, even the ones that seem like “safe” bastions, can become a battlefield in the right storm. For AIMIM, entering this arena with a modest list of 12 candidates is a statement of intent rather than a claim to power. The party is telling its supporters that it is ready to play the long game, to build a presence constituency by constituency, and to gradually widen its footprint in a state where minority politics have long been shaped by alliances and compromises.
According to the latest electoral rolls, there are 6,45,61,152 electors in West Bengal, a number that almost approaches the size of several countries. Within this vast sea of voters, AIMIM is trying to find its anchor points—communities that feel unheard, neighbourhoods where the promise of better representation and stronger advocacy can cut through the usual cynicism about politics.
For the average West Bengal voter, the coming weeks will feel like a blur of rallies, posters, loudspeakers, and doorstep conversations. But for AIMIM, this period is crucial: it must translate name and symbolism into trust. Whether it’s a young Muslim college student in Sujapur or a daily wage worker in Nalhati, the party will need to convince them that its candidates are not just “faces on walls,” but real people who will sit in the Assembly and speak up for their concerns.
In Hyderabad, where AIMIM’s headquarters breathe the energy of a party that likes to punch above its weight, the release of this list is a quiet moment of confidence. The party knows that Bengal will not be won in a single wave, but the first step has now been taken. The road ahead is long, and the competition fierce, but AIMIM is sending a clear message: it has arrived in West Bengal, and it intends to stay.