West Bengal polls: BJP retains Matua support despite SIR

KOLKATA: Despite discontent within the Matua community over large-scale deletions under SIR, and the issue of citizenship certificates under CAA, the BJP retained its foothold in the border districts of Bongaon and Nadia.

The party also captured Bagdah seat, which falls in North 24 Parganas district, by a landslide margin after losing it in the last assembly bypoll. The Matuas, who have largely backed the BJP since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, appear to have consolidated behind it again, helping the saffron party retain at least six seats where candidates were leading with substantial margins.



Though politically crucial, the Matuas are a marginalised Hindu sect, primarily comprising the Namasudra scheduled caste group. Bongaon and Nadia comprise large Matua refugee settlements, comprising people displaced from present-day Bangladesh.

For many, the SIR exclusion triggered deep anxieties. According to sources, the removal of 1.2 lakh names under SIR triggered sharp political and social fault lines in Matua-dominated seats in North 24 Parganas and Nadia.
In Nadia’s six assembly constituencies, over 90% of those placed under adjudication failed to make it to the final roll. A comparable pattern was observed across all six assembly segments in Bongaon, where deletions ranged from 67% to 88%.

Bagdah emerged as the stage for a high-voltage battle featuring members of the influential Thakurbari family. The contest drew widespread attention across the Matua heartland as BJP candidate Soma Thakur, wife of junior Union minister and BJP’s Bongaon MP Shantanu Thakur, took on Trinamool MLA Madhuparna Thakur, her sister-in-law.
Soma won by 34,321 votes. “All facilities and benefits for the Matua community will be ensured,” she said.

BJP’s Bongaon Uttar candidate, Ashoke Kirtaniya, won the seat for the second time by nearly 25,000 votes. Ashim Sarkar, the Haringhata BJP candidate, won by 22,217 votes. “With this win, the citizenship of every Matua has been ensured,” said Shantanu Thakur, BJP-led All India Matua Mahasangha Sanghadhipati.

Political observers suggested that identity-driven support and long-standing affiliations outweighed immediate concerns related to electoral roll revisions for the Matua electorate.
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