2 months ago
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Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) person Humayun Kabir connected Wednesday (March 18, 2026) announced the archetypal database of 15 candidates for his recently floated Aam Janata Unnayan Party, declaring that the outfit would contention 182 seats successful the West Bengal Assembly election, and tract a Muslim campaigner against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee successful the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency.
Mr. Kabir, who was expelled from the TMC successful 2025, has remained successful the spotlight successful caller months implicit his program to conception a mosque modelled connected the Babri Masjid successful Murshidabad district, a determination that had triggered crisp governmental reactions successful the State.
"We are giving candidates successful 182 seats. Today, we are announcing nominees for Malda and Murshidabad. The afloat database volition beryllium announced connected Sunday astir 1 p.m.," Mr. Kabir said, addressing a property conference. The erstwhile TMC person besides indicated that the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(AIMIM), successful coordination with his party, is apt to contention a fewer seats.
In a determination apt to adhd different magnitude to the already crowded Bhabanipur contest, Mr. Kabir said his enactment would tract Poonam Begum, a non-Bengali Muslim candidate, against Ms. Banerjee successful the southbound Kolkata seat.
The constituency is expected to witnesser 1 of the fiercest battles of the election, with Ms. Banerjee facing BJP person Suvendu Adhikari, reviving the governmental rivalry that defined the 2021 Assembly election.
The contention has rapidly acquired the quality of a prestige battle, not simply for a spot successful the Assembly but for governmental supremacy successful a State wherever the rivalry betwixt the 2 leaders has travel to symbolise the broader TMC-BJP confrontation.
Political observers said Mr. Kabir's determination to tract a Muslim campaigner successful Bhabanipur could besides beryllium an effort to dent the ruling party's number ballot base, adjacent if marginally.
Mr. Kabir himself volition contention from 2 seats successful Murshidabad district, Rejinagar and Naoda, departing from his earlier governmental basal successful Bharatpur, from wherever helium had won arsenic a TMC campaigner successful the erstwhile election.
His determination to combat from 2 neighbouring constituencies has triggered speculation successful governmental circles implicit the strategy down the move.
While Mr. Adhikari is contesting from some Nandigram and Bhabanipur, Mr. Kabir's prime of 2 Murshidabad seats has raised questions astir whether helium is seeking to consolidate his determination power oregon hedge against electoral uncertainty.
Among the candidates announced by the enactment are Bapan Ghosh from Purbasthali Uttar successful Purba Bardhaman; Yasin Haidar, erstwhile son-in-law of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, from Kandi; and Syed Ahmed Kabir from Beldanga.
In Malda district, the enactment has fielded Royal Islam from Ratua, Abdul Minaz Sheikh from Maltipur, Muskura Bibi from Baishnabnagar, Abu Shaid from Manikchak, and Nasimul Haque from Sujapur.
Other nominees see Syed Khubaib Amin from Bharatpur, Anupam Rohdagir from Behala East, Imtiaz Molla from Farakka, and Bijoy Sheikh from Hariharpara.
Mr. Kabir, who was expelled from the Trinamool Congress pursuing a bid of controversies, has been attempting to presumption his enactment arsenic an alternate governmental platform, peculiarly successful Muslim-majority districts, including Murshidabad and Malda.
However, analysts accidental the electoral interaction of the caller enactment volition mostly beryllium connected whether it succeeds successful splitting number votes, which person traditionally consolidated down the TMC successful caller elections.
The announcement comes aft large governmental formations, including the TMC, the BJP, and the Left, released their campaigner lists earlier this week, mounting the signifier for a multi-cornered contention crossed the State.
With smaller parties and caller outfits besides entering the fray, the predetermination is expected to witnesser analyzable section battles and shifting ballot equations, peculiarly successful districts with important number populations.
