Matua belt votes under twin shadows of SIR and CAA

Bongaon: Contrasting scenes marked the second phase of the assembly elections across the Matua heartland in Bongaon on Wednesday, where a family contest unfolded alongside voter discontent over exclusions from the roll.

At the centre of attention was the face-off within the Thakur family. Trinamool candidate and MLA Madhuparna Thakur locked horns with BJP nominee Soma Thakur, wife of junior union minister and Bongaon MP Shantanu Thakur, and her sister-in-law. The intra-family contest drew public and political interest across the constituency.



Both candidates visited booths across Bagdah, including Helencha, Gerapota, Sindrani, Parmadan and Mamabhagina. Though they crossed paths, they avoided direct interaction.

Polling was peaceful across the Matua-dominated assembly segments of Bagdah, Gaighata, Bongaon North and Bongaon South. However, discontent simmered among sections of the community, many of whom claimed they were unable to vote — some for the first time in two decades — after their names were dropped from the final electoral roll during SIR.

Madhuparna alleged that the exclusions disproportionately affected Matua voters. "Under the pretext of SIR, names of a large number of people from the Matua community have been removed. During the campaign, many expressed anger and grief. That sentiment has been reflected in Wednesday's voting. Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, I have stood by them and will continue to do so. Our efforts to restore their names will go on," she said.

But Soma called the deletions "temporary" and expressed confidence the issue would be resolved. She said voters in Bagdah were eager to participate and voiced optimism about BJP's prospects.

Bagdah, a Matua stronghold, has witnessed intense competition in recent years. In the 2021 assembly polls, BJP's Biswajit Das won but later defected to Trinamool and unsuccessfully contested the LS polls. In the subsequent bypoll, Trinamool fielded Madhuparna, who won, riding on her grassroots appeal.

This time, the stakes are higher. Mati Sadhak from Helencha said names of six family members were missing from the roll. "It raises questions about our citizenship," he said. In Joygachhi Mathpara in Gaighata, Suresh Chandra Baidya Sarkar said he and three others of his family were unable to vote. Having migrated from Barishal decades ago, he said this has made them uncertain about the future.

In Parmadan, Ramesh Gayen, who applied for citizenship months ago, said the delay meant he could not vote this time.
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