Humayun Kabir, Released After Bypoll Day Arrest, Says He Will Retire From Politics

Humayun Kabir, chief of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, announced his decision to retire from politics a day after he was arrested following a confrontation with police during the Rejinagar bypoll in West Bengal. Kabir broke down while speaking to the media on Wednesday and apologised to voters, saying he could no longer accept what he described as “so much injustice”. He said his political career would end after the election process was completed.

Kabir said he would not attend the West Bengal Assembly as long as Suvendu Adhikari remained the chief minister. “If Suvendu Adhikari remains the chief minister, I will not go to the assembly. I will seek forgiveness from the people of Naoda,” he said. He also apologised to the people of Rejinagar, saying he had failed to honour the mandate they had given him around five months earlier.

The announcement came after a tense polling day in Rejinagar, where Kabir had accused the police of interfering in the bypoll. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, was contesting the election after Kabir gave up the Rejinagar seat. Kabir had also won the Naoda seat in the April Assembly elections. He was arrested following the confrontation with police and was released later the same evening.

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Kabir, a prominent figure in Bengal’s minority politics, said he had opposed what he described as the “injustices of the Left” and had also criticised alleged “wrongdoings” within the Trinamool Congress when he was associated with the party. He claimed that he had faced disciplinary action from the Trinamool Congress four times, including one expulsion and one suspension. He also predicted that the BJP would win the Muslim-majority Murshidabad constituency.

Kabir said his retirement decision would be finalised after the election process and that he would call a meeting in Naoda to apologise to voters before leaving politics at the age of 64. He also said he would leave his political future to the people of Naoda. According to Kabir, if 60% of those attending the meeting, regardless of whether the gathering had 1,000 or 10,000 people, wanted him to step down, he would resign as the Naoda MLA.

Kabir also referred to his history of resigning from elected positions, saying he had resigned as a Congress MLA on November 20, 2012, after 18 months, and later resigned as a Trinamool MLA on March 30, 2026. He said he subsequently resigned as the Rejinagar MLA of the Aam Janata Vikas Party on May 15, 2026. His latest announcement came less than 24 hours after his confrontation with police, marking a dramatic shift from the events of polling day to an emotional declaration that he wanted to leave politics.

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