evidence: Owaisi, whose party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), exceeding all expectations, won five seats in Bihar, has so far not ruled out the possibility. But he has not categorically said ‘yes’. If the AIMIM does decide to contest from West Bengal, it will immediately raise questions about what happens to the TMC’s Muslim vote. A partial consolidation of Hindu votes behind the BJP – glimpses of which were seen in the 2019 Lok Sabha election – together with a split in the Muslim vote, could theoretically hand the BJP a historic win in the 2021 West Bengal elections if the state’s Muslim-dominated areas respond to Owaisi with the kind of enthusiasm voters showed in Bihar’s Seemanchal. [...] Nevertheless, there is little doubt that after the AIMIM’s strong showing in Bihar, Owaisi’s desire to be seen as a pan-Indian Muslim leader has got a shot in the arm.