All India Secular Front to contest in 33 seats in West Bengal elections

Founded by Abbas Siddiqui in 2021 and currently led by lone MLA Naushad Siddiqui in West Bengal, ISF has opposed both Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the two big camps in the state.

There were rumours of ISF forming an alliance with former TMC leader Humayun Kabir's new party, Janata Unnayan Party (JUP). Last month, Naushad Siddiqui told ANI that the party was looking to contest 60-70 seats and had approached Congress for an alliance in the state.

He said, " We are not in a position to contest all 294 seats in Bengal... We are ready to contest for around 60-70 seats. We want the non-BJP and non-TMC parties to form an alliance against the BJP and the TMC. We wrote a letter to the PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) and the AICC (All India Congress Committee), but got no response."

In the 2021 polls, Siddiqui securing the Bhangar seat was the only victory for the party.

Earlier today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched Trinamool Congress's manifesto for the upcoming state elections and also trained guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that he talks about "Sabka Vikas" but has done "Sabka Vinash."

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Banerjee announced the launch of the 'Duare Chikitsa' scheme, which will provide doorstep medical care with camps in every booth.

"No other party can save Bengal, keep it alive except Trinamool Congress... Do not listen to Modi ji's speech. Instead of 'Sabka Vikas', they have done 'Sabka Vinash'. And in the name of "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', they are doing "Beti, Mahila, Kisan hatao aur BJP gunda bachao," she said.

Polling in West Bengal is scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes slated for May 4. (ANI)