No question of alliance with BJP: AJUP leader Kabir

Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir on Friday ruled out any possibility of an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, asserting that his party would function as part of the Opposition despite the BJP’s sweeping electoral victory in the state.

Speaking amid intense political activity in Kolkata ahead of the formation of the new government, Kabir said there was no need for any post-poll understanding with the BJP as the party had already secured a clear majority in the Assembly.

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“There’s no question of an alliance with BJP. Now that Suvendu Adhikari has won both seats, he will have to vacate one. By-elections should be held there as early as possible. We will sit in the opposition Benches. What is the need for an alliance? BJP has won with a majority,” Kabir said. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan, Kabir added: “As Modiji says, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, if governance happens in that spirit, then I have no problem.”

Kabir, however, launched a sharp attack on opposition leaders while reacting to recent meetings between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamul Congress leaders in Kolkata following the Assembly election results. Questioning the timing of opposition solidarity, Kabir said leaders who were now expressing support for Trinamul Congress had remained absent during the election campaign. “Where was Akhilesh Yadav when campaigning was going on for two months? He should have come to support Mamata Banerjee then,” Kabir remarked. He also targeted Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the Opposition’s political strategy during the elections. “Abhishek Banerjee goes to Rahul Gandhi’s house every morning to drink tea. Then why did Rahul Gandhi field a candidate against Mamata Banerjee? Mamata Banerjee is also a liar,” Kabir alleged.

His remarks came shortly after Akhilesh Yadav met Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata to discuss post-election developments and allegations of electoral irregularities. Yadav had accused the BJP of “multi-layered mafiagiri” during the elections and demanded greater transparency in the electoral process, including the release of CCTV footage from polling stations.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Friday formally elected Suvendu Adhikari as leader of its legislative party, clearing the way for him to become West Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister. The announcement was made by Union home minister Amit Shah after a meeting of newly-elected BJP MLAs in Kolkata.

The BJP secured 207 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, while the Trinamul Congress was reduced to 80 seats after ruling the state for 15 years.