NEW DELHI: In a striking turn of events amid West Bengal’s rapidly changing political landscape, an expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader on Thursday offered Mamata Banerjee a possible route back to the state Assembly, despite having spent the past year fiercely opposing her and her government.
Humayun Kabir, one of the most influential Muslim leaders in Murshidabad, said he was willing to vacate the Rejinagar Assembly seat to facilitate Banerjee’s return to the legislature. The offer came months after he broke away from the TMC and repeatedly called for the ouster of the Mamata Banerjee government.
The Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief emerged victorious from both the Nowda and Rejinagar constituencies in Murshidabad district in the recently-concluded Assembly elections. Since election rules require Kabir to retain only one seat, a bypoll is expected in the constituency he chooses to vacate.
“If Mamata Banerjee comes to me, I can send her to the Assembly from Rejinagar. If she contests from Nandigram, she will not win. But if she wants, I will resign and ensure her victory from my constituency,” Kabir told reporters.
The development assumes significance as Mamata Banerjee currently remains outside the Assembly and must secure victory in a by-election to enter the House. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated the Nandigram seat and retained Bhabanipur, from where he defeated Mamata Banerjee, the previous CM of Bengal.
Kabir’s remarks came at a time when the former Chief Minister is navigating what many see as the most challenging phase of her political career. Following the TMC’s electoral defeat, the party founded by Mamata Banerjee nearly three decades ago has been rocked by internal rebellion and political setbacks.
For Kabir, the gesture marks a dramatic shift in political positioning. The leader, who had earlier drawn headlines by promising to build a replica of Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid in Bengal, was expelled from the Trinamool Congress after a prolonged confrontation with the party leadership.
Following his expulsion last year, he launched the AJUP and emerged as one of the TMC’s sharpest critics. He repeatedly targeted the Mamata Banerjee government and openly advocated its removal from power.
However, with the TMC now out of office and Banerjee facing an unprecedented political crisis, Kabir appeared to soften his stance.
“The situation in which she finds herself today pains me. Whatever I am today is because of her. Nobody may listen to her now, but in Rejinagar, Humayun Kabir is the final word” he said.
Kabir’s comments reflected the shifting political equations in Bengal after the TMC’s fall from power, where former allies have turned into rivals and longstanding relationships are being reassessed amid a broader realignment of forces.
