Amid TMC split, Humayun Kabir offers to vacate Rejinagar seat for Mamata’s return to Assembly

Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir, who formed his own outfit after breaking away from Trinamool Congress, has offered to resign from his constituency Rejinagar to help Mamata Banerjee a way back to the West Bengal Assembly.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kabir said that he is ready to resign and ensure Mamata Banerjee is elected from Rejinagar.

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“If Mamata Banerjee comes to me, I can send her to the Assembly from Rejinagar. If she contests from Nandigram, she will not win. But if she wants, I will resign and ensure her victory from my constituency,” Kabir said.

Kabir, once a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, was suspended from the party after he announced to build a Babari mosque in Bengal.

The development comes amid the ongoing crisis within the Trinamool Congress. After defeat in Bengal Assembly elections, the TMC has split into two factions – one ked by Mamata Banerjee and the other by rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.

Ritabrata, with the help of 58 other MPs, has managed to secure the post of Leader of Opposition. His faction has been recognised by the Speaker as the real TMC.

The Mamata Banerjee-led faction had appointed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP but he was reportedly not recognised by the Speaker.

Ritabrata has offered the chief advisor’s role for Mamata Banerjee, while launching a scathing attack on her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

“We want Mamata Banerjee to be our chief advisor, to give us advice that will help us in strengthening our position as the opposition,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

However, he slammed Abhishek Banerjee and said that the TMC has no connection with him.

“Abhishek Banerjee will have absolutely no role in it. Neither our legislative party nor the party organisation has any connection whatsoever with him. Nor does the public have any connection with him,” he said.