Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Humayun Kabir on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) announced the first list of 15 candidates for his newly formed Aam Janata Unnayan Party, saying the group will contest 182 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections and field a Muslim candidate against high-profile Chief Minister Mamata in the constitency.
Mr Kabir, who was expelled from the TMC in 2025, has remained in the limelight in recent months for his plan to build a mosque modeled after the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district, a move that has drawn sharp political reactions in the state.
“We are giving candidates 182 seats. Today we are announcing candidates for Malda and Murshidabad. The full list will be announced on Sunday around 1 pm,” Kabir told a press conference. The former TMC leader also said that the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in coordination with his party is likely to contest on several seats.
In a move likely to add another dimension to the already crowded Bhabanipur contest, Mr Kabir said his party would field Poonam Begum, a non-Bengali Muslim candidate, against Ms Banerjee in Kolkata South.
The constituency is expected to witness one of the fiercest battles of the election, with Ms Banerjee facing BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, reviving the political rivalry that defined the 2021 Assembly elections.
The contest quickly assumed the character of a prestige battle, not only for an assembly seat but also for political supremacy in the state, where the rivalry between the two leaders came to symbolize the wider TMC-BJP confrontation.
Political observers said Mr. Kabir’s decision to field a Muslim candidate in Bhabanipur could also be an attempt to erode the ruling party’s minority vote base, albeit marginally.
Mr. Kabir himself will be contesting from two seats in Murshidabad district, Rejinagar and Naoda, leaving his erstwhile political base in Bharatpur, where he won as a TMC candidate in the previous elections.
His decision to contest from two neighboring constituencies has sparked speculation in political circles about the strategy behind the move.
While Mr. Adhikari is contesting from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, Mr. Kabir’s choice of two seats in Murshidabad has raised questions about whether he is trying to consolidate his regional influence or protect himself from electoral uncertainty.
Among the candidates announced by the party are Bapan Ghosh from Purbasthali Uttar in Purba Bardhaman; Yasin Haidar, former son-in-law of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, from Kandi; and Syed Ahmed Kabir of Beldang.
In Malda district, the party fielded King Islam from Ratua, Abdul Minaz Sheikh from Maltipur, Muskura Bibi from Baishnabnagar, Abu Shaid from Manikchak and Nasimul Haque from Sujapur.
Other nominees include 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 after a series of controversies, is trying to position his party as an alternative political platform, especially in Muslim-majority districts including Murshidabad and Malda.
But analysts say the new party’s electoral impact will largely depend on whether it succeeds in splitting the minority vote that has traditionally been solidified behind the TMC in recent elections.
The announcement comes after major political formations, including the TMC, BJP and the Left, released their candidate lists earlier this week, setting the stage for a multi-party contest across the state.
With smaller parties and new outfits also entering the fray, the election is expected to witness complex local battles and shifting electoral equations, especially in districts with significant minority populations.
Published – 18 March 2026 21:38 IST
