Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 6: Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief and Nawda MLA Humayun Kabir was detained by Rejinagar Police on Tuesday shortly after casting his vote in the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll and alleging police interference in the polling process.

Kabir alleged that police personnel were interfering with voting at several booths and claimed that 64 people had been detained over the past two months.

"The police themselves are hijacking the voting process at many booths," Kabir said after casting his vote. He questioned the need for such alleged interference, saying the government was already in place.

Kabir also claimed that polling during the April 23 Assembly election had been peaceful and that there had been no allegations of wrongdoing at the time. He alleged that police action had intensified over the past two months, accusing personnel of carrying out attacks and "atrocities".

Following his remarks, police took Kabir into custody from his party office in Murshidabad and took him to the Rejinagar police station. Reports said he had been detained after a heated exchange with police, although the precise circumstances surrounding the detention were not immediately clear.

The Rejinagar seat fell vacant after Kabir resigned as MLA following his decision to retain the Nawda constituency, which he had also won in the 2026 Assembly election. AJUP has fielded his son, Golam Nabi Azad, as its candidate in the Rejinagar bypoll.

The Rejinagar bypoll is being held on Tuesday along with the Nandigram Assembly bypoll in West Bengal and elections to other constituencies in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam. Counting of votes is scheduled for October 9.

The detention comes against the backdrop of heightened political tensions in Rejinagar. Ahead of the bypoll, Kabir had accused police of targeting his party workers and had withdrawn from ground-level campaigning, while several cases and arrests involving AJUP-linked leaders and candidates had also been reported.