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Kolkata: In a massive blow to the Trinamool Congress, Bharatpur MLA and one of the key Muslim faces of the party, Humayun Kabir, has announced that he will launch a new political party after August 15 this year, according to a report by TV9 Bangla.
The party will be launched ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in the state, and Humayun has decided to break away from the TMC due to grievances against the district leadership. The new party will field candidates in 50 seats in Malda, Murshidabad, Dinajpur, and Nadia.
As per the report, Humayun has clearly stated that he has no anger against Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. But he alleges that the Murshidabad district leadership is not even following the leader's instructions. Humayun said, "By forming a new party, I want to prove that farming is done with oxen, not goats."
Humayun told TV9 Bangla in an exclusive interview, "I will not form a party centred only on Murshidabad. I will form the party with 50-52 seats in Murshidabad, Malda, North Dinajpur, and a part of Nadia." He added, "They (Murshidabad district leadership) need to see for themselves whether there are people on the side of the bulls or there are people on the side of the goats."
In his own words, Humayun Kabir is not forming a new party out of anger against Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek Banerjee, but out of spite against the district leadership. In this case, his target is Firhad Hakim, Khalilur Rahman, Apurba Sarkar, among others.
He said, "Those who are in the leadership in the district are the problem. They did not discuss anything. I do not find any importance. I do not find it in the Assembly, and even in the Rejinagar Assembly constituency where I have lived for 62 years. Those who are much junior to us, whether it's Apurba Sarkar or Khalilur Rahman, are getting more importance."
Humayun has also clarified that he is not forming the new party to cut into the Muslim votebank of the TMC in the 2026 Assembly elections. He said, "Mamata Banerjee will come to power. The leader will be the Chief Minister for the fourth time. But I will form the new party to make her aware that people like me may not be needed, but the rice that is being threshed with goats is not getting respect from the voters. I will ensure that the voters are respected."
Humayun Kabir's decision has created a massive flutter in Bengal's political circle. While experts think that the move is being made to dent TMC's minority votebank, party spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar has dismissed the move as insignificant and even alleged that the BJP is funding Kabir. Meanwhile, Congress leader and heavyweight in Murshidabad, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has claimed that just because Kabir is a Muslim does not mean he will get all the minority votes.
