Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 25 : Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday dismissed the impact of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's entry into West Bengal politics, asserting that any electoral dent would affect the ruling Trinamool Congress rather than the BJP.
On contesting Asaduddin in Bengal, he mentioned that Owaisi has been attempting to enter Bengal for a long time; now it is up to the public to decide whether to accept him or not.
"Discussions have taken place regarding this earlier as well. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met with Humayun Kabir, but nothing materialised. Now they are trying again. Owaisi has been attempting to enter Bengal for a long time. If anyone conducts an experiment, the public will decide whether to accept it or not," Ghosh said.
Earlier on Tuesday, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi announced that his party will contest the West Bengal Assembly polls in alliance with former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Humayun Kabir's newly formed Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP).
"AIMIM will contest the elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir's party," he said.
When asked if Owaisi would affect the BJP's votes, Ghosh said, "Where will they cut the BJP's votes? Usually, the ruling party's votes are the ones at risk. Generally, both these groups target the Muslim vote bank, which is currently with Mamata Banerjee. So, any loss will be hers. We are not worried about it."
West Bengal will hold elections in two phases, with the first phase scheduled on April 23 and the second phase on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to release its much-anticipated election manifesto on March 28 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The manifesto launch is expected to be a major political event, outlining the party's vision, priorities, and strategic roadmap for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
According to sources, the BJP's West Bengal unit will unveil its manifesto on March 28 for the forthcoming Assembly elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the launch, along with senior BJP leaders from the state.