Babri mosque emotion: West Bengal may see Muslim Chief Minister or Deputy CM: Humayun Kabir
The Hindu
Humayun Kabir claims a Muslim Chief Minister or Deputy CM is possible in West Bengal's upcoming elections, shaping political dynamics.
Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir said the emotive issue of constructing a new Babri Masjid in Murshidabad at his behest could shape the political discourse ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls, asserting that the next State government may, for the first time since Independence, see either a Muslim Chief Minister or a Deputy CM.
In an interview with PTI, Mr. Kabir, who has floated the Am Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) ahead of the high-stakes elections, claimed that a growing sense of political assertion among Muslims in the State could significantly influence the electoral outcome.
He said that his outfit would contest 182 seats in alliance with AIMIM and could emerge as a decisive player in government formation if the verdict produces a fractured mandate.
“If our party forms the government, then there will be a Muslim chief minister for the first time. But even if we do not form the government, we will bring such numbers that no government can be formed without us,” Mr. Kabir said.
“In that situation, I will demand the post of Deputy Chief Minister. I am saying this clearly — there will be a Muslim deputy chief minister in West Bengal after this election, if not a CM. You can take it from me in writing,” he added.
Mr. Kabir, who was suspended from the TMC last year after a series of disagreements with the party leadership, has in recent months drawn attention with his proposal to construct a mosque in Murshidabad modelled on the demolished Babri Masjid of Ayodhya, triggering sharp reactions from both the ruling party and the opposition.
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