Kolkata: West Bengal MLA Humayun Kabir on Monday announced the formation of a new political outfit, the Janata Unnayan Party, days after being suspended by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the controversy surrounding the laying of a foundation stone for a Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad district.
Addressing a public rally in Beladanga, the Bharatpur MLA declared that his party’s primary objective would be to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming Assembly elections, scheduled in less than six months. Kabir asserted that Banerjee would not return to power in 2026, claiming she has become disconnected from the common people of the state.
He said the Janata Unnayan Party would work for the upliftment of the “aam aadmi” and consciously avoided using any symbolism or naming associated with either the Congress or the Trinamool Congress. Kabir also unveiled the party’s flag, featuring yellow, green and white colours.
The MLA announced that his party would field candidates in the 2026 Assembly elections and named eight constituencies where nominees have already been finalised. He said he himself would contest from Rejinagar and Beldanga, both seats currently held by the TMC, and confidently claimed victory from both.
Kabir released the party’s manifesto and said his preferred election symbol would be a ‘table’, the symbol he used while contesting the 2016 Assembly polls as an Independent, subject to approval by the Election Commission. His second choice for the symbol would be ‘twin roses’.
Among the candidates announced were two individuals sharing his name for Bhagabangola and Raninagar seats, Manish Pandey from Murshidabad, Nisha Chatterjee from Ballygunge, Haji Ibrar Hossain from Kharagpur Rural, Muskera Bibi from Baisnabnagar, and Wahidur Rahaman from Harirampur. Kabir said the party would later decide the final number of seats it would contest, though he had earlier indicated plans to field candidates in around 135 of the 294 Assembly constituencies.
Reacting sharply, the BJP alleged that Kabir’s new outfit was aimed at indirectly aiding the TMC. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya claimed Kabir would have no impact on the elections and accused him of attempting to split BJP votes. He asserted that voters would reject Kabir and his party, particularly in the current regional and national security context.
The TMC also dismissed the development, with party spokesperson Jayprakash Majumdar calling it a communal provocation and stating that similar outfits had emerged in the past only to fade away.
Kabir was suspended by the TMC on December 4 after announcing plans to build a Babri-style mosque, which sparked a political storm. Despite the suspension, he laid the foundation stone for the mosque at Rejinagar on December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, further intensifying the controversy.
Over the past decade, Kabir has been associated with several political parties. He was expelled by the TMC in 2015 for criticising Mamata Banerjee, contested the 2016 elections as an Independent, later joined the Congress, switched to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and eventually returned to the TMC before winning the Bharatpur seat in the 2021 Assembly elections.
