Political spat over Abhishek Banerjee’s Thakurnagar visit marks importance of Matua vote bank

New Delhi, Jan 10 (LatestNewsX) West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s Friday visit to Thakurnagar in North 24 Pargana district – the cultural and spiritual hub of the Matua community – and paying obeisance at a temple has sparked a political spat.

This underscores the community’s importance in swinging political fortunes with Assembly elections slated in the first half of 2026.

During the short visit, Abhishek accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of betraying the Matua community by failing to deliver on its promise of citizenship under an amended act (CAA), and highlighted his party’s contributions to Thakurnagar’s development.

Irked by the Trinamool leader’s direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP MP and a Matua Leader, Shantanu Thakur, carried out a “purification” ritual at the temple after Abhishek’s visit, claiming the latter’s presence had defiled the sanctity of the shrine.

Highlighting the Trinamool’s contributions to the development of Thakurnagar, Abhishek sought a BJP “report card” for the work it has done for the community. Thakur responded that no government had done more for the Matuas than Prime Minister Modi.

The Matua are a large, politically influential Scheduled Caste community in West Bengal. They trace origins to 19th–20th century reform movements and include many families who migrated from what is now Bangladesh during Partition and later periods, facing religious persecution. The community has been central to state politics because of its size, cohesion, and concentrated electoral presence.

The population is concentrated mainly in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar, Malda, and Howrah, where they wield considerable influence in several seats. The community exerts influence over at least nine Lok Sabha seats and 45–55 Assembly constituencies, representing roughly 20 per cent of the state’s total Scheduled Caste electors. They compose the second-largest Scheduled Caste group in the state, mainly belonging to the Namasudra caste, and have historically marginalised.

Other states like Assam, Tripura, Odisha, and Jharkhand together reportedly have between 50–80 lakh Matua members. Many of them are part of ongoing political debates regarding citizenship documentation under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and voter listing under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) due to historical migration from Bangladesh. Their spiritual headquarters are Thakurnagar, which also serves as the socio-political nerve centre of the community.

Between 1977 and 2006, the community was largely seen as aligned towards the Left Front, though with limited direct representation. Matua leaders believed that being closer to the state government would allow them peaceful co-existence in an alien land. Apparently, for the same reason, there was a marked shift towards the Trinamool Congress with Mamata Banerjee coming to power in West Bengal in 2011.

Some analysts also attribute it additionally to state welfare programmes, recognition of Matua identity, and political outreach towards marginalised communities.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, though they continued to lend support for the Trinamool, the BJP began making inroads. Narendra Modi’s Thakurnagar visit in early 2014 during his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections resonated strongly with the Matuas, who were feeling neglected by successive governments. His engagement there highlighted the BJP’s strategy of consolidating support among marginalised communities before he became Prime Minister. This marked the BJP’s first major attempt to woo the Matua electorate, laying the groundwork for the 2019 Lok Sabha breakthrough, when Shantanu Thakur won the Bongaon seat.

The 2021 Assembly election returned a mixed Matua mandate; some trusted the BJP’s promises, others stuck with the Trinamool’s welfare schemes. The trend continued in the 2024 Lok Sabha election with an aggressive Trinamool campaign driving scepticism over the BJP’s delivery on CAA. For next year’s polls too, the Matuas remain a swing vote bloc, crucial for deciding outcomes in more than 50 of the state’s 294 Assembly constituencies.

jb/uk