CPI(M)-Humayun Kabir Alliance On Cards In Bengal? Here's What We Know

Last Updated:January 29, 2026, 20:02 IST

The meeting has drawn sharp reactions from the ruling Trinamool, with party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissing the significance of the talks.

CPI(M) leader Salim and former TMC leader Humayun Kabir | File Image

A meeting between CPI(M)’s West Bengal state secretary Mohammed Salim and Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir has sparked speculation over a possible alliance ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

However, both leaders have sought to clarify that while talks are ongoing, no alliance has been finalised.

Salim confirmed that he held an hour-long meeting with Kabir at a hotel in New Town on Wednesday, describing it as part of broader political outreach. He said the CPI(M)-led Left Front remains the party’s primary alliance platform.

“Our alliance is the Left Front. Beyond that, we are speaking to Left parties outside the Front and also to those who oppose the divisive politics of the BJP and the TMC. But talks alone do not mean we will necessarily fight elections together," Salim said.

He added that any proposal regarding seat-sharing or alliance formation would first be discussed within the Left Front, followed by consultations with other Left parties outside the Front and the Indian Secular Front (ISF).

The CPI(M)-led Left Front had contested the 2021 Assembly elections in alliance with the ISF but failed to win a single seat, with ISF’s Naushad Siddiqui emerging as the lone non-BJP opposition MLA.

Salim maintained that the meeting with Kabir was exploratory in nature. “I wanted to understand what he wants to do and what his political objectives are. Several parties are yet to take a final call on seat-sharing arrangements," he said, dismissing claims that an alliance had already been discussed or agreed upon.

Humayun Kabir, a former Trinamool Congress MLA who was later suspended from the party and has since floated the Janata Unnayan Party, termed the interaction a “fruitful" one.

“We had a very good meeting with Md Salim yesterday. It lasted for more than an hour. Our goal is to defeat the TMC and the BJP. All parties opposed to them should come together. We are not bothered about what people say, this government must go," Kabir said.

While downplaying any immediate announcement, Kabir indicated that alliance talks were part of the broader discussion.

He said he had urged the CPI(M) leadership to expedite the alliance process and hoped clarity would emerge by mid-February. Kabir also revealed that he had requested Salim to hold talks with the ISF leadership and did not rule out the possibility of his party engaging with the AIMIM as well.

“Our aim is to defeat a corrupt dispensation and give the people of West Bengal a transparent government," Kabir said.

The meeting has drawn sharp reactions from the ruling Trinamool Congress. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the significance of the talks, claiming that neither the CPI(M) nor Kabir’s newly formed party enjoys public support.

“The CPI(M) has become politically bankrupt. After ruling Bengal for 34 years, it is now going around with a begging bowl in search of pre-poll alliances," Ghosh said.

News india CPI(M)-Humayun Kabir Alliance On Cards In Bengal? Here's What We Know

Read More