AIMIM loses all seats, candidates forfeit deposits in Bengal

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) drew a blank in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with all its candidates losing and forfeiting their deposits, results announced on Monday, May 4, showed.

The party, which made its debut in the state, contested 11 constituencies across districts with significant Muslim populations, including Murshidabad, Malda, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas, Paschim Bardhaman and Uttar Dinajpur.

Reacting to the outcome, AIMIM national spokesperson Adil Hussain said the party would review its performance. “We will analyse the performance of our candidates and the party,” he said.

Alliance with AJUP called off

Initially, AIMIM had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), led by Humayun Kabir. However, the alliance was called off following a sting operation in which Kabir was allegedly heard discussing plans that suggested attempts to split Muslim votes.

In the previous Assembly elections, AIMIM had contested six seats in the state but failed to win any, with candidates losing their deposits in all constituencies.

BJP sweeps Bengal in historic mandate

In a historic political upset, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the West Bengal Assembly elections with a commanding two-thirds majority, winning 206 seats and ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress.

The result was further dramatised by chief minister Mamata Banerjee losing the high-profile Bhabanipur seat to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. Powered by an aggressive campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and strategist Amit Shah, the BJP’s victory reflects a sweeping shift across regions, communities, and voter bases, marking its first-ever government in the state.

The verdict signals a deeper political realignment, with the TMC suffering heavy losses, including defeats of several senior leaders, and a noticeable drop in vote share.

While Mamata Banerjee and opposition figures have alleged electoral irregularities, the BJP now faces the challenge of governing a politically divided state and meeting high public expectations.

For the TMC, the result marks a transition from dominance to opposition, as West Bengal moves toward a more competitive, bipolar political era.