Bengal Bypolls: AJUP Chief Humayun Kabir Detained in Murshidabad After Voting

Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief and MLA Humayun Kabir was detained by police in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Tuesday after casting his vote in the high-stakes Rejinagar Assembly by-election. The bypolls, which also covered the Nandigram constituency, took place amid a charged political atmosphere and tight security arrangements across the state.

According to sources, tensions escalated when police personnel arrived at the AJUP party office in Rejinagar and informed Mr. Kabir that he could not remain present in the office given that polling was underway. The political leader had been vocal against the local security deployment since early morning, repeatedly accusing law enforcement of intimidating voters and acting with partisanship.

Following the police directive, a heated verbal altercation broke out between Mr. Kabir and the officers. Witnesses and video footage indicated that the AJUP chief accused the police of working as middlemen and obstructing the democratic process, declaring that he would not leave the premises. The argument quickly intensified into a physical scuffle, during which officers pulled him by his shirt before escorting him into a police vehicle.

Murshidabad Superintendent of Police Sachin Makkar stated that Mr. Kabir was neither a candidate in the current bypoll nor an authorized election agent, restricting his movement and presence around polling areas in the manner he had attempted. Authorities subsequently took him to the Rejinagar Police Station.

The Rejinagar seat became vacant after Mr. Kabir, who had won both Rejinagar and Nowda in the previous assembly elections earlier that year, chose to retain Nowda. For the ongoing by-election, the AJUP fielded his son, Golam Nabi Azad, in the constituency. The multi-cornered contest features candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Congress, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The detention drew mixed political reactions as voting proceeded across the state. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari commented on the development after casting his ballot in Nandigram, stating that law is equal for everyone and nobody should attempt to violate established regulations. Meanwhile, opposition parties and local factions raised various concerns regarding polling irregularities and security measures as the day progressed.

Election officials confirmed that multi-layered security protocols, including webcasting across all polling booths, were implemented to maintain public order. Votes for the assembly by-elections are scheduled to be counted on October 9, as authorities monitor the aftermath of the contentious incidents in Murshidabad and Purba Medinipur districts.