Humayun Kabir, the Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief and former Trinamool Congress MLA, declared on Wednesday that he would resign and abandon politics after the Rejinagar bypoll. He cited the recent election held on Tuesday as a ‘farce’ in which his son, Golam Nabi Azad, had entered the race.
Kabir’s announcement came after a week of police detentions and interference at multiple polling booths in Rejinagar. He said that 64 people had been detained over the past two months, and that RSS workers and police were given special badges that allegedly facilitated vote‑looting. “If I can’t protest against this injustice, what can I do through politics or being an MLA?” he told ANI.
The TMC (Mamata) faction reacted quickly. Kunal Ghosh, a TMC MLA, said, “The time has come for Humayun Kabir to decide whether he wants to work for the advantage of the BJP or truly oppose it from the heart.” Kabir had earlier announced a resignation in December 2025, only to reverse it after voters in his constituency urged him to stay.
The seat itself was vacated when Kabir won two constituencies—Rejinagar and Nowda—earlier this year. He polled 1.23 lakh votes in Rejinagar, defeating BJP’s Bapan Ghosh by 58,876 votes. His son’s nomination on September 9 raised hopes of matching that margin, but the BJP fielded former Murshidabad district unit president Sakharav Sarkar, while the TMC (Mamata) ran Rabiul Alam Chowdhury.
Votes for the bypoll are due to be counted on October 9. Kabir has vowed not to attend the Legislative Assembly as long as Suvendu Adhikari remains chief minister, signalling a complete break from Bengal politics. The upcoming count will decide whether the seat stays with the BJP or returns to the AJUP.