Following Trinamool Congress’ humiliating defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s image as a liberal and secular leader is wrong and accused her of exploiting Muslims as a “vote bank”.
Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Owaisi said, “This image of Mamata Banerjee outside West Bengal that she is liberal and secular is wrong. She has exploited Muslims as a vote bank and has not treated them as citizens.”
Owaisi admitted that the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision exercise was also a factor in TMC’s defeat, but at the same time, the AIMIM leader alleged “huge corruption” under Banerjee’s administration.
“Huge corruption happened under her administration. SIR is also a factor, but had TMC treated Muslims as citizens and not as a mere vote bank, there would have been more development,” he added.
Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had been ruling Bengal for the last 15 years. However, the BJP managed to breach Banerjee’s fortress, registering a massive victory in the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections.
The saffron party won 206 seats and was leading in Rajarhat New Town constituency, where the official result is yet to be announced. The TMC was reduced to 80 seats, and Mamata Banerjee also lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur.