A proposed Babri Masjid-style mosque in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has turned the Bharatpur–Rejinagar–Beldanga belt into one of the most politically charged regions ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, reshaping local equations and sharpening identity lines in the minority-dominated stretch.
The controversy centres on Rejinagar, where suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, now founder of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), laid the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid on December 6 last year.
What began as a local political assertion after Kabir’s exit from the TMC has now evolved into a campaign focal point across the three adjoining constituencies. Bharatpur, Rejinagar and Beldanga together form a contiguous belt where political conversations are increasingly being shaped by the symbolism of the proposed structure.
The project has drawn large gatherings, including during Eid prayers earlier this year, with supporters from Murshidabad and neighbouring districts visiting the site. The construction activity, marked by donations, brick-laying drives and social media mobilisation, has turned the unfinished structure into a political symbol rather than a purely religious one.
Political reactions have been sharply divided. Leaders of the BJP say the project is accelerating polarisation in the region, with one party functionary, speaking to news agency PTI, described it as an example of “appeasement politics” influencing Hindu voter consolidation in nearby pockets.
The TMC, meanwhile, views Kabir’s move, especially after his association with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, as an attempt to fragment its traditional minority support base in a region where it has maintained a strong electoral hold for over a decade.
“Humayun is trying to create an emotional issue before the polls, but people know who worked for development on the ground,” said a senior TMC leader from Murshidabad, speaking to PTI, adding that welfare delivery would ultimately outweigh identity politics.
Murshidabad, where Muslims form a significant majority, has long been a key pillar of the TMC’s electoral strength. The party’s dominance in minority-dominated seats in the 2021 elections remains a critical factor in its state-level strategy.
However, the AJUP–AIMIM alignment is seeking to position the Babri mosque narrative as a marker of political assertion, particularly among younger voters who are reportedly disillusioned with both the TMC and the Congress.
Rejinagar, the epicentre of the current mobilisation, has a complex political history. Kabir first won the seat in 2011 as a Congress candidate, later joined the TMC, lost a subsequent bypoll, and now returns as a challenger from his own party. The seat, with a substantial Muslim population, has repeatedly shifted political allegiance over the past decade.
Kabir has sought to frame the mosque project as a question of identity and representation. “This is about dignity and voice, not just a structure,” he told PTI, arguing that Muslims in Bengal are seeking independent political assertion.
Bharatpur and Beldanga, which border Rejinagar, are now being viewed as crucial in determining whether this mobilisation translates into electoral impact. Bharatpur, once represented by Kabir himself as a TMC candidate, still reflects pockets of influence for him, even after his departure from the party.
Beldanga, meanwhile, remains highly sensitive, with a history of sporadic tensions and close electoral contests. The constituency has seen shifting loyalties between the Congress and TMC over successive elections.
The BJP’s strategy in the region hinges on the possibility of Hindu consolidation if the mosque issue continues to dominate the campaign narrative, even as the party remains structurally weak in these minority-dominated seats.
Analysts, cited by news agency PTI, say the three-seat belt is now witnessing a triangular political contest, between the TMC attempting to retain its minority base, the Congress trying to regain lost ground, and the BJP seeking indirect gains through polarisation dynamics.
Observers describe the situation as a “competitive identity politics” zone, where symbolic mobilisation has overtaken traditional development issues.
In Bharatpur, Rejinagar and Beldanga, election discourse has increasingly shifted away from local governance concerns to questions of identity and representation, with the proposed mosque emerging as the dominant political flashpoint ahead of 2026.
