The site for the proposed 'Babri' mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad will host its inaugural Friday prayers today, in what is being seen as a new dawn in minority politics ahead of next year's state elections.
Massive preparations are underway in Beldanga, where the foundation stone for the mosque was laid last Saturday by Humayun Kabir, a rebel MLA suspended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party.
Friday prayers, or Jumu'ah namaz, are crucial in Islam and often see a larger turnout than on other days. Hundreds of Muslim believers have already gathered at the mosque site since morning.
Read: "Trinamool's Muslim Vote Bank Will Be Finished": Suspended MLA Humayun Kabir's Warning
Arrangements have also been made to feed a thousand people after the prayers. Khichdi is being prepared at the site, with a group seen peeling vegetables nearby. Behind them are stacks of bricks donated for the mosque's construction.
"A thousand people will eat here for free. We have brought 1.5 quintals of rice and other ingredients," says a member of the cooking team. "By feeding them, we will incur a good deed," adds another, anticipating that the turnout could even be in lakhs.
The 'Babri' mosque is expected to be a replica of the 16th-century Babri Masjid torn down in Ayodhya in 1992, an episode that changed the political landscape in India forever.
Kabir proposed building a mosque by the same name on December 6, the day of the Ayodhya episode, with a wider plan to capture the state's minority votes.
The MLA has already announced he would "finish" the Muslim vote bank of Banerjee, vowing to field candidates in 135 out of 294 seats in the 2026 elections. Trying to be a "kingmaker" in Bengal, he has already announced a new party. He has pitched for an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM party, though the AIMIM has thus far ruled out any such arrangement.
Read: Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir Suspended Over Proposal To Build Babri Mosque Replica
The Trinamool had suspended Kabir, stating that they believe in a "secular theory," while the BJP called his mosque-building efforts an attempt to incite communal tensions.
Muslims comprise a major vote bank for the Trinamool that had been trying to block the BJP's efforts at making deeper inroads in the state, where the 2021 elections saw it emerge as a stronger force than ever.
Despite the odds, Trinamool swept the 2021 elections with a two-thirds majority.
