PM Modi and Mamta Banerjee.
A fresh conflict has started in the politics of West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that Matua and Rajvanshi community is being targeted in BJP ruled states as Bangladeshi. In response, the BJP has also retaliated – said that Mamata Banerjee wants to practice vote bank by showing false fear. The question is, is this community going to create a focal point in Bengal elections?
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently raised a major political issue, claiming that the people of two major Dalit communities, Matua and Rajvanshi, are being targeted in other states of the country. He alleged that people of these communities are being disturbed, arrested and tortured.
This statement of Mamta is being seen as a strategic bet in political circles before the upcoming assembly elections. However, to blunt the edge of Mamta’s charge, the PM once again associated TMC with the intruders.
How is Matua-Rajvanshi important for the politics of Bengal?
Matua and Rajvanshi communities are considered very important in social, political and electoral terms in West Bengal. The Matua community, also known as Namashudra, is the largest group of Hindu refugee Dalits from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). It is estimated that the number of Matua voters in the state is between 1.75 and 2 crores, which is 1718% of the total Scheduled Castes (SC) population. Overall, this community has an impact in 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal. This community has a widespread political impact in North twenty -four Parganas, South Twenty -four Parganas, Nadia, Cooch Behar, Malda, Howrah and some parts of Hooghly.
At the same time, the population of the Rajvanshi community is around 50 lakhs and this community has impact in the districts of North Bengal, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Malda. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, both these communities supported the BJP on a large scale. Shantanu Thakur won from Matua -dominated seat Bangaon who himself is from Matua society and is also a Union Minister.
BJP also got an edge in many areas with royal influence. However, in the 2021 assembly elections, the Mamta government introduced plans and facilities to woo these communities. Land rights, language boards, holidays and scholarships were announced for the Matua community. The establishment of courts, decisions related to culture, and development plans for Rajvanshi society.
The effect of this was that a part of these communities turned to TMC. The BJP seems to participate in the program of Matua Samaj earlier.
BJP-TMC boast before assembly elections
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the vote of both communities was divided between TMC and BJP. The BJP implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) before the 2024 elections, which raised hopes in the Matua community that they would get a formal status of Indian citizenship. This gave the BJP again support, but TMC also managed to get their votes.
Mamta Banerjee has now accused the BJP of working against Bengalis and refugees by raising the issue of alleged atrocities on these communities. He says that the citizens of Bengal are being targeted in the outside states, due to which the identity and rights of West Bengal are in danger.
Behind Mamta Banerjee’s statement, Matua and Rajvanshi communities are being seen as a strategy to connect Matua and Rajvanshi communities with TMC. These communities are not only heavy in population, but also decide winning and defeat in many seats. Mamta’s message is clear, TMC is the real -friendly of these communities, while the BJP uses her only as an election tool. This issue is likely to emerge more in the coming months, because the political temperature in Bengal is gradually climbing.
