Humayun Kabir came into limelight after a spat with TMC following his controversial role in laying the foundation for the proposed Babri Mosque in Murshidabad.
Humayun Kabir is gearing up to challenge West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s crucial minority vote bank after launching his Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP), which will make its debut in the upcoming elections.
Kabir, a former TMC leader, is contesting the Bengal elections on two seats: Reginagar and Naoda. He shot to fame last year after he proposed building a Babri-style mosque in the Beldanga area of Murshidabad. The controversial initiative later led to his expulsion from the TMC.
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Here are six essential details you need to know about Humayun Kabir:
- Humayun Kabir won the 2021 Bengal elections from Bharatpur constituency in Murshidabad district on a TMC ticket. It has great influence in the Muslim-majority region.
- He started his political journey from Congress, later moved to Trinamool and then joined BJP after being expelled from TMC. He lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the BJP candidate from Murshidabad, but returned to Trinamul.
- He came into the limelight last year after a row with the TMC following his controversial role in laying the foundation for the proposed Babri Mosque in Murshidabad on December 6, the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya.
Also read: Few reinforcements, many setbacks: Will Humayun Kabir’s AUJP split minority votes in Bengal polls
- The Babri Masjid issue featured prominently in state politics, with the BJP attacking the TMC over the issue, while the TMC distanced itself from the MLA. He was suspended by the party shortly after the controversy in December last year.
- Since resigning, the senior has launched his own party (Aam Janata Unnayan Party) and begun preparations for the Assembly elections. The party planned to fight on at least 135 seats and entered into an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.
- Kabir sparked fresh controversy this month after he appeared in a video claiming to have been in touch with BJP leaders and mobilized Muslim voters against the TMC in exchange for Parliament’s approval. $1000 Crores. Although the AUJP president dismissed the video as a conspiracy, the development led to a major image decline and also ended his party’s alliance with AIMIM.
The upcoming elections will be a real test for Kabir and his party in their attempt to unite minority voters in Murshidabad district.
