‘Dropped because I am a Hindu’: Humayun Kabir removes influencer Nisha Chatterjee from candidate list, cites ‘inappropriate social media posts’
Times of India | 24 December 2025
KOLKATA/BEHRAMPORE: In less than 24 hours after Humayun Kabir announced the name of social media influencer Nisha Chatterjee as his Janata Unnayan Party's Ballygunge candidate, the Bharatpur MLA dropped her, citing her "inappropriate social media posts".
Chatterjee has threatened to drag Kabir to court, alleging he defamed her "public image". She also said that Kabir's "new secular party promise" is a sham. Kabir said he would name a Muslim candidate for Ballygunge.
With Chatterjee by his side, Kabir had named the influencer his party's Ballygunge candidate from a rally on Monday. On Tuesday, Kabir told reporters, "Her social media posts and mannerisms are inappropriate. They are completely unfit for her to step into a holy place like the Bengal assembly. I will announce the name of a Muslim candidate for Ballygunge within a week." Kabir also said he is scheduled to meet two Ballygunge representatives and decide on the issue.
Reacting to this, Chatterjee told reporters: "I have been in touch with him (Kabir) since he opened my cafe in Picnic Garden in June. He told me that he would form a secular party where people from any religious background could join. I used to do a lot of social work, and I felt this would be the right platform for me to serve people. He invited me to the Dec 22 programme, stating that I would be made a party state committee member. I was completely unaware that he was going to declare my name as a candidate. I'm shocked as to how, within 24 hours, he felt my social media posts were vulgar. He will have to explain why he publicly maligned me." She added that she might consider contesting the assembly polls as an Independent.
"I have been dropped because I am a Hindu. If his party was secular, would this have happened? I stood by his Babri Masjid plan. Then why did he do this to me?" she said to news agency PTI.
After doing her graduation from Jogamaya Devi College in 2018, Chatterjee gained a follower base with TikTok videos. She said, "I have more social media followers than him (Kabir). He needed to promote his party, which is why he took me along. In the morning, he has no problem with my posts, and in the evening, he feels the same posts are vulgar. I am an influencer. I earn my living from it. No one can just walk away damaging my reputation."
Chatterjee said that while she had earlier thought that the new party had been formed to unite people, she now felt that Kabir had other intentions. "He said he would announce a Muslim candidate for this seat, which means his party is not secular. He is trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. I am from a Hindu family. How could he say such a thing against me? My parents were not happy after hearing my name as a candidate, but these things are more embarrassing for them and for me as well," she said, adding she had already begun consulting lawyers to file a defamation case.