Rebel Trinamool MPs should have resigned if they had courage: AJUP chief Humayun Kabir
Synopsis
AJUP chief Humayun Kabir has thrown down a pointed gauntlet at the 20 rebel Trinamool MPs who quietly switched to the near-invisible NCPI: resign your seats and let voters decide. It is a challenge that cuts to the heart of the defection's credibility — and one the rebel bloc has not answered.
Key Takeaways
AJUP chief Humayun Kabir on 16 June said the 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs should have resigned their Lok Sabha seats rather than switching parties.
The rebel MPs formally joined the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) , a Tripura-based party with minimal national presence, on 14 June .
They submitted a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Sunday, 14 June notifying the switch.
Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has separately written to the Speaker seeking the expulsion of MP Kalyan Banerjee over alleged misconduct.
Kabir also called for uniform public-space rules after the West Bengal government shifted Bakrid namaz from Red Road to Brigade Ground , citing the same road-use norms ahead of Durga Puja pandals.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir on Tuesday, 16 June challenged the 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members to resign their seats if they genuinely opposed the party's supreme leadership, saying the public — not a party switch — should decide their political fate. Kabir's remarks came days after the rebel MPs announced they were joining the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a virtually non-existent political force based in Tripura.
What Kabir Said
Speaking to reporters, Kabir did not mince words. 'The 20 MPs, who have come together, are raising issues and speaking against the supreme leadership of Trinamool Congress... if they have the courage, then they should have first resigned from the party on whose symbol they had won the election,' he said.
'Then let the common people decide their fate,' he added, calling for a fresh public mandate rather than a quiet defection to another banner.
The Rebel MPs' Move
The 20 former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha members formally announced their switch to the NCPI on Sunday, 14 June, submitting an official letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker in this regard. The NCPI has negligible political presence outside Tripura, making the move widely seen as a tactical manoeuvre rather than an ideological shift.
On the Kakoli-Kalyan Dispute
Kabir was also asked about Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking the expulsion of fellow Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee over alleged misconduct. He responded with measured scepticism: 'Both the leaders won the election on the same party symbol. Today, for what purpose is she raising this issue, and why is she writing a letter to the Speaker... only she can explain this properly.'
He was careful to note his own distance from parliamentary affairs. 'I am not even a Member of Parliament, so I do not want to say much about the Parliament or comment on it,' Kabir said, before reiterating that the public should be the final arbiter.
On Yoga Day and the Namaz Row
Turning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected participation in the upcoming International Yoga Day programme at Red Road in Kolkata, Kabir drew a pointed parallel with the West Bengal government's decision to shift Bakrid namaz from Red Road to Brigade Ground. He noted that the state strictly prohibits religious prayers on public roads.
'Permission to offer namaz on Bakrid was given for the Brigade Ground instead of the Red Road. It was a decision of the Central government. I would neither go completely against the Centre nor fully support it,' he said.
Kabir added: 'We will see during the Durga Puja festival, when so many roads are blocked to put up pandals. The law should be the same for everyone.' The remark signals a demand for uniform application of public-space rules across communities and occasions.
What Comes Next
The rebel MPs' formal letter to the Speaker sets the stage for potential anti-defection proceedings, depending on how the Trinamool Congress chooses to respond. Political observers note that the NCPI's thin organisational base offers the defectors little electoral cover ahead of future polls. Kabir's challenge — resign and face the voters — underscores the credibility question that will follow these MPs into any next election.
Point of View
The Speaker's office becomes a battleground for intra-party scores. Kabir's remarks on the namaz-versus-pandal question are also worth watching — they reflect a growing pressure point in Bengal politics around the consistent application of public-space law, one that neither the state government nor the Centre has cleanly resolved.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs join the NCPI?
The 20 rebel All India Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members announced their switch to the National Citizens Party of India on 14 June, reportedly in opposition to the party's supreme leadership. They submitted a formal letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker on the same day. The NCPI has a negligible organisational presence outside Tripura.
What did AJUP chief Humayun Kabir say about the rebel MPs?
Kabir said the rebel MPs should have resigned from their Lok Sabha seats — which they won on the Trinamool Congress symbol — before defecting, and then sought a fresh public mandate. He argued that the voters, not a party switch, should decide their political future.
What is the Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Kalyan Banerjee dispute about?
Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking the expulsion of fellow Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee over alleged misconduct. Kabir noted that both MPs won their seats on the same Trinamool symbol and questioned the purpose of the letter.
What did Kabir say about the Yoga Day event and the namaz row?
Kabir drew a parallel between the West Bengal government's decision to shift Bakrid namaz from Red Road to Brigade Ground and the use of roads for Durga Puja pandals. He called for uniform application of public-space rules and said he would neither fully oppose nor support the Centre's decision on the Yoga Day venue at Red Road.
Could the rebel MPs face anti-defection action?
The rebel MPs' formal letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker notifying their switch to the NCPI could trigger scrutiny under anti-defection rules, depending on how Trinamool Congress responds. Legal and political observers note that the NCPI's thin base provides little electoral protection ahead of future elections.
