NEW DELHI: As West Bengal heads to vote in phase 2 on Wednesday, the Matua community might emerge as a kingmaker in this big-stakes election.In phase 2, the Motua-dominated belt of North 24 Parganas and Nadia could be the decisive factor in the big TMC vs BJP fight. Ahead of polling, a large section of the electorate, however, is unsure if it will be able to vote at all.The uncertainty stems from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has led to significant deletions in Matua-heavy constituencies. In North 24 Parganas alone, around 3.25 lakh names have been struck off the voter list following the exercise. Data from the Bongaon subdivision, a core Matua pocket, shows deletion rates ranging between 67 per cent and 88 per cent among those placed under adjudication.
In Gaighata, 16,222 out of 22,278 flagged voters were removed, while Bagdah recorded over 15,000 deletions. Similar patterns have been reported across Bongaon North and South.Across Nadia constituencies such as Krishnanagar North, Krishnanagar South, and the Ranaghat segments, over 90 per cent of those under scrutiny did not make it to the final rolls. Administrative estimates suggest a substantial proportion of those affected belong to the Matua Namasudra community.The scale of deletions has come at a time when the community remains in the middle of a long pending citizenship process.
The anxious overlap
Of the roughly 1.12 lakh applications filed across West Bengal after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules were notified in March 2024, only about 15,000 have been approved so far. More than 50,000 of these applications are from North 24 Parganas and Nadia, the same districts now witnessing large scale voter exclusions.This overlap has sharpened anxiety on the ground. In several pockets, residents who have lived and voted in these areas for decades say their names have been marked “under adjudication” or removed altogether.
SIR data
“We were promised citizenship, but it never came. Now we are left helpless,” Sukhomoy Haldar, a resident of Gaighata told TOI.Ramesh Gayen from Bagdah, who applied for citizenship months ago, said delays in the process meant he would not be able to vote in this election. Yogesh Biswas from the same region said he had held back from applying, expecting clarity first, but now risks being excluded as well.
The politics over purge
The political response has been sharp and conflicting. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged that the SIR exercise is designed to disenfranchise Matua voters, while local BJP leaders and workers in some constituencies have also criticised the scale of deletions.In Bagdah and Gaighata, protests and defections have been reported, with some party workers openly opposing candidate selections and linking their anger to voter roll exclusions. However, at the national level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to reassure the community. Addressing rallies in Bengal, he said Matua and Namasudra families would receive citizenship and “all the benefits that an Indian citizen is entitled to” under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). PM Modi also offered prayers at Matua Thakur Temple in North 24 Parganas and reiterated at a public meeting his government’s resolve to fast-track Indian citizenship for its members.While the PM, in his rally on Sunday, asked Matuas and other Hindu refugees from Bangladesh not to pay heed to TMC’s claims, home minister Amit Shah and other BJP campaigners have been emphatic in underlining the party’s commitment to their welfare.The assurance comes as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempts to retain support in a region that contributed significantly to its rise from 2 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 to 18 in 2019. Yet, on the ground, the immediate concern is not long term policy but present eligibility. In North 24 Parganas, where Matuas make up nearly 30 per cent of the population and influence 33 assembly seats, the question many voters are grappling with is procedural like whether their names will be restored in time or whether applying for citizenship will affect their status and whether they will be able to participate in the April 29 voting process.
Can the bloc swing Bengal?
The stakes of this uncertainty are high because of the community’s electoral weight. The Matua Namasudra population is estimated to be around 17 to 18 per cent of West Bengal’s population, with a much higher concentration in border districts. Their presence stretches across North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Cooch Behar and parts of North Bengal.Electoral analysts estimate that Matua voters influence outcomes in 60 to 65 assembly seats. In the second phase alone, they are a key factor in 21 constituencies. In tightly contested elections, this scale of influence gives the community leverage that political parties cannot ignore.This is evident in recent electoral trends. In 2019, the BJP made major gains in Bengal, winning 18 Lok Sabha seats, driven in part by support in Matua dominated regions like Bongaon and Ranaghat. In the 2021 assembly elections, it won 9 of the 21 seats where Matua voters are a decisive factor. Even in 2024, when its tally dropped, it retained leads in several of these segments. The TMC, which had earlier built strong support through welfare measures and refugee rehabilitation, continues to see the community as central to its electoral strategy. The result is an intense contest for a vote bank that is both large and increasingly assertive.
From caste margins to political centre
The political significance of the Matua Namasudra community is rooted in its history. The Namasudras were once among the most marginalised caste groups in eastern Bengal, relegated to the lowest levels of the social hierarchy. Their assertion began in the nineteenth century under Harichand Thakur, who founded the Matua movement as a rejection of caste discrimination and a call for dignity and equality.His son Guruchand Thakur expanded the movement, promoting education and political awareness. The Matua identity became both a religious and social force, offering an alternative to both caste oppression and religious conversion pressures.Partition disrupted this trajectory. Large numbers of Namasudras migrated from East Pakistan and later Bangladesh over several decades, particularly during the riots of 1950 and the 1971 war. They arrived in West Bengal as refugees, often settling in colonies with limited infrastructure and economic opportunity.Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas emerged as the centre of the Matua movement in India, binding together faith, memory and identity. Over time, this shared experience of displacement translated into political consciousness.
An unfinished promise
For decades, the question of citizenship remained unresolved for many in the community. The CAA was seen as a turning point, offering a pathway to formal recognition for non Muslim refugees from neighbouring countries.For the Matuas, this was not just a legal provision. It was tied to their history of displacement and their search for belonging. The promise of citizenship carried both practical and symbolic significance.In districts like North 24 Parganas and Nadia, where over 50,000 applications have been submitted, many applicants are still waiting just like 15000 cleared out of 1.12 lakh across Bengal.This gap between promise and delivery has created frustration. The SIR exercise has intensified that frustration by bringing questions of documentation and eligibility into immediate focus.
The SIR purge
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has turned into a flashpoint in Matua dominated areas. While it is officially an administrative process, its impact has been deeply political and social.In several constituencies, entire clusters of voters have been marked “under adjudication” and later removed. Residents say the process has been difficult to navigate, with limited clarity on documentation requirements and timelines.“My parents and grandmother have been voting since 2002. I was born and educated here, yet our names have been removed,” a resident from the region told TOI.For many, the concern goes beyond voting. Electoral identity is linked to access to welfare schemes and state recognition. Losing a place on the voter list raises fears about losing other entitlements as well.“I receive an old age pension and fear I may lose it if I am no longer an enrolled voter,” another resident said.These fears reflect a deeper insecurity. For a community shaped by migration and delayed recognition, verification processes are not seen as routine. They are experienced as tests of belonging.
An internal divisions
The response to SIR has exposed divisions not just between parties but within them. The TMC has accused the BJP of using the exercise to weaken a key voter base. The BJP, while defending the process at the central level, has faced criticism from sections of its own local leadership.In constituencies like Bagdah and Gaighata, protests and defections have been reported. Some leaders have contested elections as independents, citing dissatisfaction with both candidate selection and voter deletions.The Thakur family, which holds symbolic authority within the Matua community, is itself divided along political lines. Different members are aligned with different parties, reflecting the broader fragmentation within the community.This division has implications for voting patterns. The Matua vote, once seen as capable of consolidating behind a single political force, now appears more fluid.
Beyond arithmetic
Despite these divisions, the Matua Namasudra community remains one of the most politically aware groups in the state. Its voting behaviour is shaped not just by immediate benefits but by a strong sense of history and identity.This identity includes memories of caste discrimination, the reformist movement led by Harichand and Guruchand Thakur, and the experience of displacement after Partition. It also includes the effort to rebuild lives in a new state while seeking recognition and dignity.These factors influence how the community responds to political messaging. Citizenship promises resonate because they address a long standing issue. At the same time, administrative actions like SIR are scrutinised closely because they affect immediate rights.
A question behind vote
As West Bengal moves through its election cycle, the Matua belt stands out not just for its electoral importance but for the questions it raises.In these constituencies, the contest is not only between political parties. It is also between promise and process. Between long term assurances and immediate experience.For many voters, the choice is no longer just about which party to support. It is about whether they will be able to participate in the first place.The Matua Namasudra community has travelled a long path from caste marginalisation in eastern Bengal to becoming a decisive force in West Bengal’s politics. Its journey reflects resilience and adaptation.This election captures that journey at a moment of strain. A moment where citizenship remains incomplete, and electoral participation itself has come into question.As April 29 approaches, the mood in the Matua heartland is defined less by campaign rhetoric and more by a simple, unresolved concern of whether they will be counted.ALSO READ | In search of Bharatiya ‘porichoy’: Will the Matua–Namasudras rewrite ‘poriborton’ in Bengal elections?
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