Humayun Kabir fields retired cop as his new party’s Ballygunge candidate

Kolkata: Suspended Trinamool Congress legislator from Bharatpur Assembly Constituency in minority-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal, Humayun Kabir, on Wednesday announced the name of former West Bengal Police officer, Abul Hasan, as his new party’s candidate from Ballygunge Assembly constituency in South Kolkata. Incidentally, while officially declaring his new political party, christened Janata Unnayan Party, on December 22, Kabir had announced Nisha Chatterjee as the party candidate from Ballygunge.

However, on the very next day, he withdrew Nisha Chatterjee as the candidate following reports that her social media account had her photos wearing revealing clothes. On Tuesday, Kabir also said that he will field a candidate from the minority community from Ballygunge. So, going by his promise, he announced Abul Hasan as the candidate from Ballygunge. Hasan is Kabir’s maternal uncle and was a junior-level police officer in West Bengal during the previous Left Front regime and is currently leading a retired life. Meanwhile, Nisha Chatterjee had claimed that she had never approached Kabir to become a candidate of his new party.

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“He personally invited me and fielded me as the candidate from Ballygunge. Now he has unilaterally cancelled my name on flimsy grounds. I feel that I am rejected since I am a Hindu. I think no one has the right to censor a woman’s behaviour and freedom,” she said. On December 22, while announcing the formation of his new political party, Kabir said that he will contest from two constituencies in Murshidabad district, namely Beldanga and Rejinagar, in 2026.

“We will decide in the future the exact number of constituencies in West Bengal where our party will float candidates in the elections next year. Again, I am saying that we are open to an alliance with all anti-Trinamool Congress and anti-BJP forces in the state. I aim to achieve a larger minority unity,” Kabir said on Monday. He also said that “table” is his first choice as the party logo. “My second choice as a logo is ‘twin rose’. If I do not receive either of the two, I will consider the third option. Our party flag will have three colours, namely yellow, green, and white,” Kabir said.