In a significant political development in West Bengal, suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Humayun Kabir officially launched his new political outfit, the Janata Unnayan Party (JUP), on Monday. The move comes just days after the ruling party suspended him for his controversial plan to build a Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad district.
A Direct Challenge to the Establishment
Addressing a public gathering in Beldanga, Kabir, who is the MLA from Bharatpur, declared that his party will contest the crucial 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. He unveiled a list of eight initial candidates and revealed his personal plan to contest from two assembly seats: Rejinagar and Beldanga, both in Murshidabad. However, he kept the total number of seats his party will fight for close to his chest, stating, "We can only tell you later how many seats we will be finally contesting."
Kabir set his sights squarely on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating his primary aim is to remove her from power in the upcoming polls, due in less than six months. He launched a sharp personal attack, alleging, "Mamata Banerjee is no longer the same person I knew. She is beyond the reach of the common man." He threw down a direct gauntlet, challenging her to win even a single seat and vowing to reduce the TMC's tally to zero in Murshidabad.
He did not spare the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) either, issuing a warning. "I also want to warn the BJP. If they field candidates in 200 seats, I will show them by winning 100 seats," the JUP chief claimed.
Ambitions of a Kingmaker
Kabir positioned himself as a potential power broker in the 2026 elections. He predicted a hung assembly, asserting that neither the TMC nor the BJP would secure a simple majority, with no party crossing the 148-seat mark in the 294-member House. "I will be kingmaker after the elections. No one can form a government without my support," he asserted confidently.
He further elaborated that his new party would contest around 135 seats and win enough constituencies to play a decisive role in government formation. "Whoever goes to take oath as the chief minister will need the support of my party’s MLAs," he added, outlining his strategy to wield significant influence in state politics.
Political Reactions and a Controversial Past
The political arena reacted swiftly to Kabir's new venture. While the TMC has not directly commented on the launch, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, at a separate party meeting in Kolkata, accused the BJP of trying to create divisions among Muslims in Bengal.
The BJP, however, dismissed Kabir's move entirely. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said Kabir would have no impact on the elections and accused him of indirectly helping the TMC return to power. BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain was more direct, calling Kabir "an agent of the TMC." He alleged, "Mamata Banerjee deliberately got Humayun Kabir to form a party to create polarisation, so that Muslim voters who are unhappy with Mamata do not shift to the opposition but instead move separately. This entire script has been written by Mamata Banerjee."
The genesis of this political split was Kabir's suspension by the TMC on December 4 after his statement about constructing a Babri-style mosque sparked a major controversy. Defying his party, he laid the foundation stone for the mosque at Rejinagar on December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
Kabir's political journey has been marked by frequent shifts. Over the past decade, he has been associated with the TMC, Congress, and BJP. He was expelled by the TMC in 2015 after criticizing Mamata Banerjee. He later joined the Congress, then moved to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, contesting unsuccessfully from the Murshidabad seat. He returned to the TMC fold and won the Bharatpur Assembly seat in the 2021 state elections, only to be suspended now and launch his own party.
