In a striking turn of events amid West Bengal's rapidly changing political landscape, an expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader on Thursday offered Mamata Banerjee a potential route back to the state Assembly, despite having spent the past year fiercely opposing Banerjee and her government.
Humayun Kabir, one of the most influential Muslim leaders in Murshidabad, said he was willing to vacate the Rejinagar Assembly seat to facilitate Banerjee's return to the legislature. The offer arrived just months after he broke away from the TMC and repeatedly called for the ouster of Banerjee’s administration.
The Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief emerged victorious from both the Nowda and Rejinagar constituencies in Murshidabad district during the recently concluded Assembly elections. Since electoral rules dictate that he can retain only one seat, a by-election is expected in whichever constituency he chooses to vacate.
Speaking to reporters, Kabir remarked that if Banerjee approached him, he could ensure her entry to the Assembly from Rejinagar. He claimed that she would face defeat if she contested from Nandigram, but promised that if she wished, he would resign and guarantee her victory from his own constituency.
The development carries substantial weight as Banerjee currently remains outside the Assembly and must secure a victory in a by-election to enter the House. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated the Nandigram seat and instead retained Bhabanipur, the constituency where he defeated Banerjee, Bengal's former Chief Minister.
Kabir's remarks are timely, since it is coming at a time when the former Chief Minister faces what many see as the hardest part of her career. After losing an election, the TMC, which Banerjee started almost thirty years ago, deals with internal conflict.
Kabir's recent move is a major change in his political stance. He had gained fame for vowing to rebuild Ayodhya's Babri Masjid in Bengal. Yet, Kabir got thrown out of the TMC after clashing with party leaders. Post-expulsion last year, he started the AJUP and became a fierce critic of the TMC.
Now that the TMC person is gone and Banerjee faces a big crisis, Kabir seems to change his tune. He said her current struggle really hurts him. Acknowledging that all he has accomplished is because of her, he pointed out that no one may listen to her now. Still, he stressed that in Rejinagar, his word is the final say.
Kabir's comments show how politics in Bengal are changing after the TMC lost power. Allies are now rivals, and old relationships are getting second looks. With this, various political forces are repositioning themselves. It's still unclear if Banerjee accepts this deal. Yet, the proposal is pretty ironic in post-election Bengal. Recently, a leader tried to take down her government but now offers help for her to come back to the legislative assembly.
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