Police Take AJUP Chief From Rejinagar Office During Bypoll

Officers pulled Humayun Kabir by his shirt and led him to a police vehicle outside his party office in Rejinagar, as nearby voters continued casting ballots. The Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief had spent the morning accusing police of interfering with the bypoll. Authorities said he was taken into custody for breaking the law. ^7,8

Kabir voted with his family before going to the AJUP office in Murshidabad district. Police told him he could not stay there on polling day, and an argument followed. Kabir accused officers of taking sides and stealing votes; the exchange turned physical, and police took him to Rejinagar Police Station. He also alleged that security forces were stationed outside his home to scare voters and said police had detained 64 people over two months. ^7,8

The claims about those 64 alleged detentions are at the heart of a dispute neither side’s account settles. Kabir said police were disrupting voting at several booths and targeting his supporters. Police said they had sent enough officers and central forces to keep order, and a senior officer described the situation as under control. The competing accounts matter because the arrest came during voting, when claims about access, pressure on voters and police conduct can affect trust in the process. The sources do not show that vote rigging occurred. ^8,10

The Rejinagar seat became vacant after Kabir won both Rejinagar and Nowda in the 2026 state election, then chose to keep Nowda. AJUP put forward his son, Golam Nabi Azad, for the seat. The Election Commission asked for a report on the incident, while voting also continued in Nandigram. Counting for the bypolls is scheduled for October 9, when the Rejinagar result will show who wins the seat. ^19,23