Kolkata, Mar 20 (PTI) Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir believes the emotive issue of constructing a new Babri Masjid in Murshidabad at his behest, along with a growing sense of political assertion among Muslims, could influence the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections.
In an interview with PTI, Kabir, who has floated the Am Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) ahead of the high-stakes polls, claimed that the next state government may, for the first time since Independence, see either a Muslim chief minister or a Muslim deputy chief minister.
He said that his outfit would contest 182 seats in alliance with AIMIM and could emerge as a decisive player in government formation if the verdict produces a fractured mandate.
“If our party forms the government, then there will be a Muslim chief minister for the first time. But even if we do not form the government, we will bring such numbers that no government can be formed without us,” Kabir said.
“In that situation, I will demand the post of deputy chief minister. I am saying this clearly — there will be a Muslim deputy chief minister in West Bengal after this election, if not a CM. You can take it from me in writing,” he added.
Kabir, who was suspended from the TMC last year after a series of public disagreements with the party leadership, has in recent months drawn political attention with his proposal to construct a mosque in Murshidabad modelled on the demolished Babri Masjid of Ayodhya, a plan that has triggered sharp reactions from both the ruling party and the opposition.
The 62-year-old leader said the issue had struck an emotional chord among Muslim voters and could translate into electoral backing for his party.
“Babri Masjid is an emotion; I tried to apply balm on that wound of our community. For establishing the Babri Masjid, if 100 Muslims go to vote, 80 of them will vote for candidates of my party. Wait till May 4, all your questions will be answered,” Kabir said.
The AJUP leader said his party would contest 182 seats across the state.
“We have started by announcing candidates from Murshidabad and Malda districts. The rest will be announced on March 22,” he said.
Kabir said his party and the AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, reached an electoral understanding.
“AIMIM will contest eight seats — three in Birbhum, three in Murshidabad and two in Malda. The rest of the seats are part of our total of 182,” he said.
In a move that could add another dimension to the high-profile contest in Bhabanipur seat, Kabir said his party would field Poonam Begum, a non-Bengali Muslim candidate, against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The constituency is expected to witness a fierce contest, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also likely to be in the fray.
Kabir also claimed that four sitting TMC MLAs contacted him through emissaries to explore the possibility of contesting the election on the AJUP ticket.
“Please wait till March 22. There will be a good game in Murshidabad district,” Kabir said, hinting at possible defections before AJUP’s final candidate list is announced.
According to the 2011 Census, Muslims constitute around 27 per cent of West Bengal’s population and are concentrated in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur.
In the 2021 assembly elections, the TMC swept most of these districts. Of the 22 seats in Murshidabad district, the ruling party won 20. In Malda, it secured eight of the 12, while in Uttar Dinajpur it won four of six seats. BJP’s Raiganj MLA later returned to the TMC fold.
Kabir argued that Muslim voters, who he claimed have influence in 114 assembly segments, were increasingly dissatisfied with the TMC. In those seats, whichever way Muslims vote will determine the winner, he said.
“Muslims are about 37 per cent of the population and around 30 per cent of voters. Yet the ruling party has given only 47 Muslim candidates. If they truly respected that share, there should have been at least 90 to 100 Muslim candidates,” he said.
“Among the 182 seats we will contest, more than 100 candidates will be Muslims. That shows who is serious about giving Muslims political representation,” he added.
Kabir accused the TMC of keeping Muslims politically marginalised while claiming to represent their interests.
“They have done nothing for the development of Muslims. Muslims voted for TMC for years because we told them to. Now we are telling them not to vote for TMC. Whether they listen to us or them will become clear when the results are declared,” he added.
The former TMC leader said his party was positioning itself to play a decisive role in the event of a hung assembly, though he declined to say whether he would support the BJP or the TMC.
“That question will be answered after May 4. Whoever needs our support will have to accept our conditions. My priority is ensuring a Muslim deputy chief minister, if not a CM. Since I lead the party, I will demand that post,” he said.
Kabir’s political career has been marked by frequent shifts — from the Congress to the TMC in 2011, then briefly to the BJP in 2018, back to the TMC before the 2021 polls, and now launching his own party.
Kabir, who had won from Bharatpur in the last assembly election as a TMC candidate, said he would contest this time from two seats in Murshidabad district- Rejinagar and Naoda.
Kabir also dismissed allegations by both the BJP and the TMC that he was secretly working for the other side.
“For me, that is a moral victory. If both sides say this, it means Humayun Kabir has become an important factor in West Bengal politics,” he added. PTI PNT NN
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