Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui launched the ISF in Kolkata on Thursday.Kolkata: A new political party was born in Kolkata on Thursday and will join the scramble for a slice of the 294-seat pie in the West Bengal assembly in the upcoming elections.The party’s name: Indian Secular Front or ISF. Its chief patron Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui, a 34-year-old preacher-turned-politician. He belongs to the loved ones related with Furfura Sharif in Hooghly district, 1 of the holiest mazars in the nation, second only to Ajmer Sharif.The new party’s ambitions are lofty: upliftment of backward masses – Muslims, tribals and Dalits. But its birth is driven by disaffection with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and could split her so-referred to as vote bank in Bengal.”When Mamata came to power, she said she would give jobs and education and 15 per cent reservation. We believed her and I told my supporters, let’s back Mamata and my supporters voted for her. But now they are seen she didn’t do anything. Instead, she created a divide between Hindus and Muslims. So, I thought let’s not depend on others to do what is needed. Let’s form our own party,” stated Abbas Siddiqui.The Pirzada struck a coup of sorts earlier this month. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi flew to Kolkata in a somewhat secretive style on January 3 and met him at Furfura Sharif.Mr Owaisi desires his party to contest the Bengal elections. He had declared so, following AIMIM gains in Bihar. He told Mr Siddiqui he was prepared to fight in this state below his leadership.Both vote-cutters scoffed the Trinamool Congress. “Many are coming to assist BJP in Bengal but nothing will make any difference. Whether it is MIM or anyone else, everyone knows they are BJP’s vote katuas. They are insignificant,” stated Trinamool minister firhad Hakim.”They will have no impact in Bengal where no one votes on communal lines,” he added.BJP’s state chief Dilip Ghosh felt differently.”Why does Trinamool think the Muslim vote is their monopoly?” he stated. “Muslims of Bengal are the most backward. This is the Sachchar Committee’s finding, not mine. If someone wants to form a party, in a democracy, he has the right. But If someone thinks they own a community, that is wrong. If they want to party on the development, that’s fine.”It is not as if Abbas Siddique has no baggage. His uncle, Toha Siddique who is a senior Pir at Furfura Sharif, is recognized to back Mamata Banerjee. The nephew’s selection to kind a party of his personal to rival hers is a trigger of friction. Sources also claim that Abbas would have stayed with Mamata Banerjee if Trinamool had offered him 40-odd seats to field his personal candidates.But his party has now arrived. The initial strategy is to kind a front with like-minded parties and fight all seats in Bengal in which a considerable 30 per cent voters are Muslim. The Pirzada has created a mark amongst substantial sections of them as a preacher. In reality, lots of view him has a social media phenomenon. But can he pull in the votes?That query will undoubtedly dangle more than the upcoming elections now on what is becoming referred to as the Pir Impact on Bengal poll. He has created no secret of his ambition. In his debut look in his political avatar, the Pirzada has declared he desires to be the kingmaker.
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