During a rally in Naoda, Murshidabad district, Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM chief) accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other political parties of exploiting West Bengal's Muslim community for electoral gains without contributing to their development. He pointed out that while Muslims make up about 30% of the state's population, only 7% hold government jobs. Owaisi urged the community to elect leaders from within to ensure their economic progress and representation. He criticized TMC's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her perceived hypocrisy regarding Muslim issues and accused her of having a secret alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Owaisi announced a continued alliance with Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) for upcoming elections, aiming to consolidate the Muslim vote against TMC and BJP. The AIMIM-AJUP coalition seeks to contest 182 seats in the 294-member assembly, aiming to challenge the dominance of TMC, which has historically relied on minority voters. The assembly elections are scheduled for April 23 and April 29, with results to be announced on May 4.