Five candidates quit Humayun Kabir’s party, join Trinamool ahead of polls in major setback

In a significant political development just hours before the end of campaigning for the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, five candidates from Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party have joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC), dealing a major setback to the fledgling outfit. The mass defection, particularly concentrated in West Bardhaman and Murshidabad, has triggered intense political buzz ahead of the first phase of polling.

Among those who switched sides are Rahul Ghosh (Raniganj), Rubina Begum (Durgapur East), Advaita Das (Barabani), and Jubed Das (Pandabeswar), all of whom were earlier contesting as candidates of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party but eventually withdrew from the race. They joined TMC in the presence of district president and Pandabeswar candidate Narendranath Chakraborty, who handed them the party flag. With this, four out of eight candidates from the party in the district have exited just before elections.

In a parallel development, Yadav Das, the party’s candidate from Khargram in Murshidabad, also rejoined TMC shortly before polling. A resident of Ketugram in Purba Bardhaman, Yadav Das had earlier begun his political career with TMC before shifting to Humayun Kabir’s party. He formally returned to TMC at Katwa, receiving the party flag from MLA and district president Rabindranath Chatterjee. He stated that his decision was driven by the need to strengthen Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and counter the BJP, and announced he would campaign for TMC candidates.

Explaining the reasons behind the sudden exodus, some of the defecting candidates alleged that Humayun Kabir had failed to follow up on key promises made during early campaigning, including commitments that initially drew public support. They also referred to a viral video allegedly showing Kabir claiming a deal worth thousands of crores with the BJP to defeat TMC, though the authenticity of the video has not been verified. The controversy has raised questions about the party’s credibility and leadership.

After joining TMC, the leaders said that attempts to divide votes would not succeed and credited Mamata Banerjee for development work, especially among minority communities. Narendranath Chakraborty also alleged that the party had fielded candidates to split votes but failed to gain traction, adding that the new entrants would now actively campaign for TMC. Meanwhile, Yadav Das said he would inform voters about his decision through leaflets and urge them to support the ruling party, marking a dramatic shift in the electoral landscape just before polling.