Matua voters stay firm with BJP in West Bengal

The BJP received strong backing from Matua voters across 50 constituencies in the North 24 Parganas (33) and Nadia (17) districts of West Bengal, which border Bangladesh, despite the deletion of a substantial number of voters from the community during the special intensive revision and the slow pace of granting Indian citizenship.

Together, these two districts account for about 40% of the Matua population.

Most of the seats in the Matua belt, including Bagda, Gaighata and Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district, went to the BJP.

Support from Matua voters had also played a key role in the party's strong performance in the 2021 assembly polls.

This time, although many members of the Matua community were affected by the voter list revision, they largely remained supportive of the BJP, providing relief to the party.

Another concern for the BJP had been the slow pace of granting Indian citizenship to Matua refugees who migrated from Bangladesh in 1947 and 1971 under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, and how this might affect the assembly election. The results, however, appear to have eased those concerns.

Even internal divisions within the influential Matua Thakurbari family did not significantly affect the BJP's electoral performance.

Bagdah saw a contest involving members of the family.

The BJP candidate was Soma Thakur, wife of India's junior minister for ports, shipping and waterways and BJP MP from Bongaon, Shantanu Thakur, who is the younger son of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi, revered as Boro Maa.

Soma defeated TMC's sitting legislator, Madhuparna Thakur, her sister-in-law.

Madhuparna is the daughter of TMC Rajya Sabha MP Mamatabala Thakur and the wife of Kapil Krishna Thakur, the elder son of Binapani Debi.

To attract Matua voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Thakurbari, the main temple of the Matua Mahasangha in Thakurnagar, North 24 Parganas, on 26 April, two days before the second phase of polling in the assembly election.