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In a dramatic turn in West Bengal’s political landscape, suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir on Monday announced the launch of his new political party, the Janata Unnayyan Party (JUP), declaring it will champion the development and welfare of the people, especially the underprivileged and common citizens.
Kabir gathered with his followers at Beldanga’s Khagrupara area in Murshidabad district to announce the name of his new party. The area has been covered with posters and festoons of the estranged TMC MLA. Notably, Kabir is yet to decide on the symbol for his new political party, however, he is inclined towards a table or joint roses as primary preference for the symbol, sources tell.
Kabir, who represents the Bharatpur constituency in Murshidabad district, has been estranged from the TMC following a series of high-profile controversies that strained his relationship with the party leadership.
Earlier he had also claimed that he was in talks with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi to form an alliance ahead of the 2026 polls in Bengal. Kabir said he was in touch with Akbaruddin from AIMIM and they wanted him to join the party but he insisted on an alliance. However, Owaisi had refused to comment on the pitch.
The rift widened in early December when Kabir announced plans to lay the foundation stone for a mosque modelled after the Babri Masjid in Beldanga, Murshidabad — choosing December 6, the 33rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, for the ceremony. The proposal drew intense political attention and was widely seen as provocative given the historic sensitivities surrounding the Babri Masjid issue.
Kabir made many flio-flops in his political career. He started in 1990s with Congress as a student leader. In 2011, Humayun won Reginagar constituency from Congress. In 2012, he walked over to TMC and was made a Minister of State for Animal Resources Development. His anti-party statements began in 2015, following which he left the party and fought independently in 2016. Kabir welcomed Bhartiya Janata Party’s invite in 2018, he was also seen in posters alongside PM Narendra Modi as his trusted ‘chowkidar’. He contested and lost from Murshidabad. In 2021, he migrated back to TMC and won the Bharatpur seat, of which he is the sitting MLA.
TMC leaders, including senior state minister Firhad Hakim, accused Kabir of indulging in “communal politics” and violating party discipline aimed at preserving peace and harmony in the state. As a result, the party suspended him from its ranks on December 4, 2025, effectively ending his formal association with the TMC.
Undeterred, Kabir went ahead with the foundation-laying ceremony on December 6, drawing thousands of supporters amid significant security arrangements. The event, which Kabir described as a “prestige battle” for the Muslim community, also included plans for broader community infrastructure like a hospital, school and helipad surrounding the mosque project.
The ceremony ignited political and social debates across the state and the country, echoing the deep symbolism attached to the Babri Masjid legacy and sparking reactions from various quarters. Despite legal pushback — including a PIL in the Calcutta High Court — Kabir’s mosque project proceeded after a brief legal review, underscoring his resolve to press ahead with his agenda.
Today’s event marks Kabir’s formal entry into independent political leadership with the Janata Unnayyan Party, which, according to him, aims to focus on grassroots development issues and give voice to marginalized communities.
The launch signals Kabir’s ambition to play a significant role in West Bengal’s vibrant political contest ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with the new party likely to contest a substantial number of seats and position itself as a critical player in the evolving political alliances and power equations.
