Following the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) decision to field candidates in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections next year, Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Anubrata Mandal has called the Hyderabad-headquartered party “BJP’s middleman”.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday declared that his party would contest in West Bengal in 2021 after surprisingly bagging five seats in the recently-concluded Bihar Assembly elections.

Ever since the results came out AIMIM has been the victim of a ferocious attack, mostly by Congress leaders, where it has been called BJP’s “B-Team”. It has been circulated that they cut away Mahagathbandhan’s vote share which indirectly helped the NDA.

Joining the trend, TMC’s Birbhum district president, Mandal, took a jibe at Owaisi and his party. Bengali daily Sangbad Pratidin quoted him as saying, “Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen or MIM is BJP’s middleman. This party cut Mahagathbandhan’s vote in 36 seats and helped NDA in winning them.

“I’m the friend of Muslims. But he (Owaisi) is not the friend of Muslims. He is BJP’s absolute middleman.”

Mandal’s reaction came at a TMC workers’ meeting in Labhpur in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. Apart from Mandal, District Council mentor, Abhijit Singha, MP Asit Mal, Labhpur Block Secretary, Tarun Chakraborty, Mannan Hossain and other district leaders were also present.

Mandan further said, “Don’t trust MIM. It has committed a sin by working as BJP’s middleman. BJP will not be able to rear its head in West Bengal due to Mamata Banerjee’s development. And, Hindus and Muslims here are more conscious than elsewhere. If Asaduddin Owaisi fields candidate here the Muslim community will be aware.”

Other than Mandal, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and heavyweight Congress leader in West Bengal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, had also launched an attacked on AIMIM for “cutting our votes” in Bihar.

“We were assured of a victory in Bihar but then some smaller parties cost us. Owaisi’s party has played a role in cutting our votes, Owaisi has been used by the BJP to target us,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by News18.

Responding, Owaisi slammed his rivals for calling him and his party names during the campaign. “We were called B, C team and ‘vote katwa’ party. Today we are also blamed for results,” he said.

“We are coming to Bengal. We are going to Murshidabad, Malda and Dinajpur. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, are the Muslims under some kind of contract to vote for him? He should say why the condition of Minorities are so bad in his own constituency. He should say what has he done for them?” Owaisi added.