Former TMC leader Humayun Kabir on Wednesday announced the first list of 15 candidates of his newly floated Am Janata Unnayan Party, declaring that the outfit will contest 182 seats in the West Bengal assembly elections and field a Muslim candidate against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Bhawanipore constituency.
Kabir, who was expelled from the TMC last year, has remained in the spotlight in recent months over his plan to construct a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district, a move that had triggered sharp political reactions in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Kabir said, "We are giving candidates in 182 seats. Today, we are announcing nominees for Malda and Murshidabad. The full list will be announced on Sunday around 1 pm." The former TMC leader also indicated that the AIMIM, in coordination with his party, is likely to contest a few seats.
In a move likely to add another dimension to the already crowded Bhawanipore contest, Kabir said his party would field Poonam Begum, a non-Bengali Muslim candidate, against Banerjee in the south Kolkata seat.
The constituency is expected to witness one of the fiercest battles of the election, with Banerjee facing Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, reviving the political rivalry that defined the 2021 assembly polls.
The contest has quickly acquired the character of a prestige battle, not merely for a seat in the Assembly but for political supremacy in a state where the rivalry between the two leaders has come to symbolise the broader TMC-BJP confrontation.
Political observers said Kabir's decision to field a Muslim candidate in Bhabanipur could also be an attempt to dent the ruling party's minority vote base, even if marginally.
Kabir himself will contest from two seats in Murshidabad district, Rejinagar and Naoda, departing from his earlier political base in Bharatpur, from where he had won as a TMC candidate in the previous election.
His decision to fight from two neighbouring constituencies has triggered speculation in political circles over the strategy behind the move.
While Adhikari is contesting from both Nandigram and Bhawanipore, Kabir's choice of two Murshidabad seats has raised questions about whether he is seeking to consolidate his regional influence or hedge against electoral uncertainty.
Among the candidates announced by the party are Bapan Ghosh from Purbasthali Uttar in Purba Bardhaman, Yasin Haidar, a former son-in-law of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, from Kandi, and Syed Ahmed Kabir from Beldanga.
In Malda district, the party 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 include Syed Khubaib Amin from Bharatpur, Anupam Rohdagir from Behala East, Imtiaz Molla from Farakka, and Bijoy Sheikh from Hariharpara.
Kabir, who was expelled from the Trinamool Congress following a series of controversies, has been attempting to position his party as an alternative political platform, particularly in Muslim-majority districts such as Murshidabad and Malda.
However, analysts say the electoral impact of the new party will largely depend on whether it succeeds in splitting minority votes, which have traditionally consolidated 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-cornered 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 vote equations, particularly in districts with significant minority populations.
