The 'Matua' arithmetic: How TMC is weaponising citizenship to corner BJP ahead of Bengal polls

Representing over 17% of the total Scheduled Caste population and 3.84% of the state’s overall residents, the community’s influence is particularly concentrated in the adjacent districts of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and parts of Jalpaiguri.

• PM Modi's rally in Nadia focused on Bengal's development, not Matua concerns
• Matua community fears voter list deletions amid SIR exercise, anxieties remain
• TMC criticized PM for not addressing Matua disenfranchisement and central dues

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual rally in West Bengal's Nadia district on Saturday was keenly watched not only by BJP's principal opposition, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), but also by members of the Matua community -- Bengal's second-largest scheduled caste group that fears disenfranchisement amid the SIR exercise.

Although the Prime Minister lauded the social role of Matua community, the speech clearly failed to reassure the Matuas regarding their anxieties about the deletion of their names from the voter list, as many Matua people do not have birth documents.

PM Modi instead focused on Mamata Banerjee's misgovernance of the Bengal government. He said that if there is a "double-engine government", Bengal's development will accelerate. He emphasised that there is no shortage of funds, but corruption and "cut money" have blocked Bengal's progress.

Trinamool Congress, seizing the moment, doubled down on the PM, alleging that PM Modi's speech at the Taherpur rally in showed his "lack of concern" for the Matuas, who have been facing uncertainties over deletion of names post publication of the draft electoral rolls under the SIR.

Matuas and the SIR anxiety

For the Matuas, a Dalit Hindu refugee community which migrated from Bangladesh over decades following religious persecution, the first state-wide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) since 2002 has created anxieties among voters over identity and citizenship. Representing over 17% of the total Scheduled Caste population and 3.84% of the state’s overall residents, the community’s influence is particularly concentrated in the adjacent districts of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and parts of Jalpaiguri.

After the publication of the draft electoral rolls, it emerged that the names of 86,175 voters from the Matua community had been removed across four Assembly constituencies in North 24 Parganas, including Bongaon North, Bongaon South, Gaighata and Bagda. Bongaon North recorded the highest deletions at around 26,000, followed by Bagda with 24,927.

Gaighata saw 16,642 names struck off, while 18,563 were removed in Bongaon South. Officials said the list also included voters who had died or migrated, but local leaders confirmed that a substantial number of those deleted were Matuas.

Why Matuas matter to BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party's aggressive outreach to the Matuas was critical to its 2019 Lok Sabha gains in Bengal and further inroads into North 24 Parganas and Nadia in 2021. But loyalty remains uncertain. The Trinamool Congress successfully recovered ground in the 2023 panchayat elections and BJP’s winning margins in major Matua Lok Sabha seats had dropped compared to 2019, suggesting a shift despite the focus on citizenship.

West Bengal minister and senior TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya told reporters that the PM has not spoken a single word about the Centre withholding Rs 1.97 lakh crore dues of West Bengal under several central projects. In a jibe at Modi speaking in Bengali, Bhattacharya said, "Despite his best efforts, many of his pronunciations made little sense particularly regarding names of places."

"Before the 2019 and 2021 polls, we witnessed his efforts to speak in Bengali. But, apparently, that did not yield results. Now, suddenly, he remembers Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur. He speaks about Sri Chaitanya. He dreams of capturing West Bengal, but that will end up being his daydream," she claimed.