Mamata Might Have Competition In Muslim Cleric Leader

It’s a small village of West Bengal. But it might just give West Bengal another angle to its political fight. It is a cleric from the Furfura Sharif village in Hooghly District of the state of West Bengal has decided to float a new political party. 

Mr. Abbas Siddiqui is launching the Indian Secular Front (ISF). Siddiqui hails from Fufura Sharif, a holy place that is home to a massive population of the Bengali Muslims. 

The Islamic cleric has expressed a desire to allying with any party except BJP. According to them, the party that is running the nation ‘were dangerous’.  He has confirmed that his party is going to contest all 294 seats. His front is called ‘Democracy, Secularism & Justice’ that he calls the foundation of the party.  Mamata Banerjee, the current CM of West Bengal already holds 222 seats. She is scheduled to go to the polls in April-May 2021.

According to Abbas Siddiqui, there is a need for reclaiming a lost democracy and equality which India should represent. While he is open to alliance, he does not want to it come through before they can claim a majority hold on the seats. 

Making a public statement while announcing the new party, he said, “Alliance is important because then only a party like BJP can be brought down.  I don’t want to be the king- just the kingmaker.”

Mamata Banerjee has been at the helm for close to a decade. Her leadership could be seen as more of a dictatorship, which newer people would like to contest. Taking the Bengal poll plunge AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has also announced that his party will contest the upcoming state assembly elections along with Abbas Siddiqui. Polls start from January 03. 

Owaisi who met Siddiqui at Futura Sharif in Bengal’s Hooghly district said that he will soon decide as to which districts and how many seats will the AIMIM contest on. Hitting out at Owaisi, Mohammed Yahiya- the chairman of the Bengal Imams’ Association stated that their community does not need any Muslim leader from outside West Bengal adding that they will not allow the division of Muslim votes in the state.