2 months ago
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Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir said the emotive contented of constructing a caller Babri Masjid successful Murshidabad astatine his behest could signifier the governmental sermon up of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls, asserting that the adjacent State authorities may, for the archetypal clip since Independence, spot either a Muslim Chief Minister oregon a Deputy CM.
In an interrogation with PTI, Mr. Kabir, who has floated the Am Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) up of the high-stakes elections, claimed that a increasing consciousness of governmental assertion among Muslims successful the State could importantly power the electoral outcome.
He said that his outfit would contention 182 seats successful confederation with AIMIM and could look arsenic a decisive subordinate successful authorities enactment if the verdict produces a fractured mandate.
“If our enactment forms the government, past determination volition beryllium a Muslim main curate for the archetypal time. But adjacent if we bash not signifier the government, we volition bring specified numbers that nary authorities tin beryllium formed without us,” Mr. Kabir said.
“In that situation, I volition request the station of Deputy Chief Minister. I americium saying this intelligibly — determination volition beryllium a Muslim lawman main curate successful West Bengal aft this election, if not a CM. You tin instrumentality it from maine successful writing,” helium added.
Mr. Kabir, who was suspended from the TMC past twelvemonth aft a bid of disagreements with the enactment leadership, has successful caller months drawn attraction with his connection to conception a mosque successful Murshidabad modelled connected the demolished Babri Masjid of Ayodhya, triggering crisp reactions from some the ruling enactment and the opposition.
“Babri Masjid is an emotion; I tried to use balm connected that coiled of our community. For establishing the Babri Masjid, if 100 Muslims spell to vote, 80 of them volition ballot for candidates of my party. Wait till May 4, each your questions volition beryllium answered,” The 62-year-old person said.
The AJUP person said his enactment would contention 182 seats crossed the state. “We person started by announcing candidates from Murshidabad and Malda districts. The remainder volition beryllium announced connected March 22,” helium said.
Mr. Kabir said his enactment and the AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, reached an electoral understanding.
“AIMIM volition contention 8 seats — 3 successful Birbhum, 3 successful Murshidabad and 2 successful Malda. The remainder of the seats are portion of our full of 182,” helium said.
In a determination that could adhd a caller magnitude to the contention successful Bhabanipur seat, Kabir said his enactment would tract Poonam Begum, a non-Bengali Muslim candidate, against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The constituency is expected to witnesser a fierce contest, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari besides apt to beryllium successful the fray.
Mr. Kabir besides claimed that 4 sitting TMC MLAs contacted him to research the anticipation of contesting the polls connected AJUP ticket.
“Please hold till March 22. There volition beryllium a bully crippled successful Murshidabad district,” Mr. Kabir said, hinting astatine imaginable defections earlier AJUP’s last campaigner database is announced.
According to the 2011 Census, Muslims represent astir 27% of West Bengal’s colonisation and are concentrated successful districts specified arsenic Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC swept astir of these districts. Of the 22 seats successful Murshidabad district, the ruling enactment won 20. In Malda, it secured 8 of the 12, portion successful Uttar Dinajpur it won 4 of six seats. BJP’s Raiganj MLA aboriginal returned to the TMC fold.
Mr. Kabir argued that Muslim voters, who helium claimed power 114 Assembly segments, were progressively dissatisfied with the TMC. In those seats, whichever mode Muslims ballot volition find the winner, helium said.
“Muslims are astir 37% of the colonisation and astir 30% of voters. Yet the TMC has fixed lone 47 Muslim candidates. If they genuinely respected that share, determination should person been astatine slightest 90 to 100 Muslim candidates,” helium said.
“Among the 182 seats we volition contest, much than 100 candidates volition beryllium Muslims. That shows who is superior astir giving Muslims governmental representation,” helium added.
Mr. Kabir accused the TMC of keeping Muslims politically marginalised portion claiming to correspond their interests.
“They person done thing for the improvement of Muslims. Muslims voted for TMC for years due to the fact that we told them to. Now we are telling them not to ballot for TMC. Whether they perceive to america oregon them volition go wide erstwhile the results are declared,” helium added.
Mr. Kabir said his enactment would play a decisive relation successful the lawsuit of a hung assembly, but declined to accidental whether helium would enactment BJP oregon TMC.
“That question volition beryllium answered aft May 4. Whoever needs our enactment volition person to judge our conditions. My precedence is ensuring a Muslim Deputy Chief Minister, if not a CM. Since I pb the party, I volition request that post,” helium said.
Mr. Kabir’s governmental vocation has been marked by predominant shifts — from the Congress to the TMC successful 2011, past concisely to the BJP successful 2018, backmost to the TMC earlier the 2021 polls, and present launching his ain party.
Mr. Kabir, who had won from Bharatpur successful 2021, said helium would contention this clip from 2 seats — Rejinagar and Naoda.
He dismissed allegations by some the BJP and the TMC that helium was secretly moving for the different side.
“For me, it's a motivation victory. If some sides accidental this, it means Humayun Kabir has go an important origin successful Bengal politics,” helium added.
The elections to the 294-member assembly volition beryllium held connected April 23 and 29.
