Suspended MLA Humayun Kabir says 'will be kingmaker in 2026'; TMC says he is daydreaming

'I have said that I will contest in 135 seats. You will see that the party I form will win so many seats that whoever goes to take oath as the chief minister will need the support of my party's MLAs', Kabir said.

Kolkata: Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir on Tuesday asserted that he would emerge a "kingmaker" after the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal, asserting that no government could be formed without the support of his proposed new political outfit.

Claiming that neither the ruling TMC nor the BJP would be able to touch the majority mark on their own in 2026, Kabir said his estimate suggested that no party would cross the 148-seat mark in the 294-member assembly.

"I will be kingmaker after the elections. No one can form a government without my support," Kabir told reporters, while indicating that the formal announcement of his new party would be made on December 22.

"I have said that I will contest in 135 seats. You will see that the party I form will win so many seats that whoever goes to take oath as the chief minister will need the support of my party's MLAs," he said.

Asked whether his outfit would be called the 'National Conservative Party', Kabir declined a direct reply, smiling and saying, "I will reveal everything later. You will know after December 22." He also claimed that the new party would be launched at a massive public meeting.

"On December 22, I will announce my party by gathering one lakh people. The launch will take place at Berhampore Textile More," the suspended legislator said.

Kabir's rift with the TMC widened following his controversial role in laying the foundation for a proposed mosque modelled on Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district on December 6, the anniversary of the mosque's demolition in UP's Ayodhya.

The TMC, last week, suspended him for repeatedly defying party discipline and making provocative statements linked to the project.

Earlier, Kabir had indicated that he would resign as an MLA following the suspension but on Monday made a sharp U-turn, stating that he would not quit the assembly.

Despite choosing to remain a legislator, Kabir reiterated that he would go ahead with his plans to float a new political outfit later this month and explore electoral alliances.

"I have not yet spoken to the Congress. CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim has taken responsibility for talks with them. There is a strong possibility of seat-sharing with the Congress and the Left in Murshidabad for the next assembly polls," he claimed.

Kabir further asserted that two more MLAs would join his proposed party, though he declined to disclose their identities.

The TMC, however, mocked his claim and said he is "daydreaming." "Humayun Kabir is daydreaming. First, he should try to save his security deposit before talking about making governments. Such baseless claims only expose his political desperation," TMC state general secretary Arup Chakraborty said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left and the Congress are the principal opposition forces in the state, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), headed by Asaduddin Owaisi, has also recently expanded its footprint in West Bengal.

Kabir has earlier indicated that his future electoral strategy could involve understanding with the Left, Congress and the AIMIM.

The AIMIM on Monday ruled out any electoral understanding with suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, dismissing his overtures as "politically suspect and ideologically incompatible", days after his controversial mosque foundation ceremony in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.