Overview
- Kabir unveiled the Janata Unnayan Party on December 22 in Murshidabad and said he will contest from Rejinagar and Beldanga, naming several initial candidates.
- The West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Biman Bandyopadhyay, said he may summon Kabir to clarify his legislative status and will examine any anti-defection complaint.
- Within 24 hours of the launch, Kabir withdrew Nisha Chatterjee as the Ballygunge nominee and said he will announce a Muslim candidate for the seat within a week.
- Kabir now says JUP will field candidates in 90 constituencies and he plans to seek Election Commission recognition with a preference for the ‘table’ symbol, with ‘rose’ as a fallback.
- Political reactions hardened, with Mamata Banerjee warning against attempts to divide minority voters, the BJP dismissing Kabir as a TMC proxy, and the RSS chief calling the mosque push a vote-driven ploy.