Kabir has openly called out Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections, stating the state might finally have a Muslim chief minister, or at the very least, a Muslim deputy chief minister since the country became independent. Kabir began his Am Janata Unnayan Party after being kicked out of the Trinamool Congress and thinks his group could be the one to decide things if the votes don’t give any one party a majority.
Humayun Kabir’s challenge and political claims
Kabir says that if his party does form the government in West Bengal, the first Muslim chief minister will come from within it. He also stated that even if his party doesn’t win, they could win enough seats to be absolutely necessary in any discussions about forming a government.
The 62-year-old leader explained he would demand the deputy chief minister position if his party were to be the ‘kingmaker’ (the party whose support decides which bigger party forms the government). He said this again recently in an interview, while detailing a very active plan to compete all over the state.
AJUP formation and electoral strategy
Kabir started the Am Janata Unnayan Party to compete in the 2026 election after he left his former party. He announced they will compete in 182 seats and said they will concentrate their campaigning in areas where most people are Muslim.
Kabir has put a lot of emphasis on getting people at the local level to support the party, and on choosing candidates who will turn the feelings of the Muslim community into votes. He’s presented some of his ideas as solutions to complaints people have had for a long time, and believes these will gain votes.
Alliance with AIMIM and seat sharing details
Kabir says his party has an agreement with Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen about the election. AIMIM will compete in eight districts: three in Birbhum, three in Murshidabad, and two in Malda.
Kabir includes those eight seats in his total of 182 seats. He also says they will continue to announce who their candidates are, with more names to come before the final deadline to officially register.
Key constituencies and candidate matchups
Kabir has said his party will have Poonam Begum, a Muslim candidate not from Bengal, run in Bhabanipur – the district of the current Chief Minister. This race will likely be very closely followed, and it’s expected that the main competitors will fight hard for it.
Murshidabad and Malda are at the center of the Am Janata Unnayan Party’s strategy, because of the people who live there. Because of this, and because AIMIM will be competing in a few places in these districts, the party is trying to focus their influence in areas where close races can be changed.
Mamata Banerjee’s response and the wider political backdrop
Mamata Banerjee has said the national government is planning actions related to citizenship, using the census and a national registry as justification. She’s described a situation she calls an ‘unofficial President’s Rule’ before the election.
The Chief Minister says officials have been moved to make things easier for her political opponents, and that people from a certain community are being looked at more carefully by the administration. She released her party’s plan for the election while making these claims, and told voters to be careful.
Election schedule, scenarios and implications for 2026 polls
The election will happen in two parts: April 23rd for 152 seats, and April 29th for 142. The results will be public on May 4th. People who follow politics say that either one party will win a clear majority, or no party will have enough seats to form a government on their own, are both possible.
If the election doesn’t give a clear winner, parties like the Am Janata Unnayan Party and AIMIM could have much more power than expected in forming the government. This could completely change how parties work together, and bring issues of religious and social identity to the front of the negotiations, which would influence what the government does and who is in the cabinet.
Kabir’s very public promise to get a Muslim chief minister or deputy chief minister makes things more important for all the parties as the campaign gets going. Because the lists of candidates, alliances, and problems in each area are still changing, the coming months will be critical for both voters and the people planning the political strategies in West Bengal.
