KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged minorities, who traditionally support the ruling Trinamool Congress, to remain united at a time when the party’s suspended MLA Humayun Kabir floated a new political platform, the Janatar Unnyan Party (JUP).

The move has raised concerns over a possible split in the minority vote bank barely four months ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled next year.

Addressing a meeting of Trinamool Congress Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in the city, Banerjee appealed to minorities not to panic. “I am telling you to take a decision and get united against the BJP,” she said.

“BJP is trying to play division politics among you. But you have to be united against them,” the Chief Minister added.

Humayun Kabir, the Trinamool Congress legislator from Bharatpur, was recently suspended by the party leadership on charges of anti-party activities. These included allegedly making communal statements and laying the foundation stone of a mosque in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, modelled after the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

On Monday, Kabir formally announced the launch of his new party, the Janatar Unnyan Party.

Addressing a public meeting in Beldanga, Kabir named eight candidates whom his party will field in the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. He said he would himself contest from two seats, Rejinagar and Beldanga in Murshidabad district, and would soon release the names of other candidates.

Kabir claimed that the JUP would field candidates in 90 Assembly constituencies across the state and would emerge as a decisive factor in the elections.