Barely 200 metres from Thakurbari in Thakurnagar — the headquarters of the Matua community — two out of three members of a household have been struck off the West Bengal electoral rolls days ahead of Phase 2 voting on April 29. What began as a journey anchored in hope for Indian citizenship has, for many Matuas, turned into a struggle to retain their voter identity.
Needhendhu Biswas now spelled his name with care. On a humid April afternoon, he said he would not be able to vote in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. His name is missing from the voters’ list. So is that of his 20-year-old son, Suraj.
“We were promised citizenship under the CAA. But my name has been deleted. I voted in the 2021 Assembly polls, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and even in the last gram panchayat polls. I have all the documents. Still, my name went into the adjudication list. I hope it will be cleared after elections,” Needhendhu told India Today TV, juggling work at his small shop.
His one-storey, unplastered house stands close to the Thakurnagar temple, a key shrine for Matuas. Like many here, his family migrated to India seeking safety and stability. Needhendhu spent years working as a hawker along railway tracks near the India-Bangladesh border before buying land in Thakurnagar, home to the All India Matua Mahasangha. For many in the community, that marks arrival and belonging.
Needhendhu said that he had not taken the Hindu card from the Matua Mahasangha. “Leaders here had assured us we would get citizenship. If my name returns to the voters’ list, it’s fine. Otherwise, I hope CAA will resolve it,” he pointed out.
His wife, Purnima Biswas, remained on the rolls. She is locally born, unlike many Matua families in the area. Married to Needhendhu for 23 years, her roots are in India.
Purnima avoided the camera but not the concern. While she can vote, she was worried about her son and their home. “My son cannot speak properly. He has hearing issues. His name being removed creates fear,” she said. Her mother-in-law, who sells them, still does not have a voter card.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission has become a flashpoint in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 polls. In Matua-dominated pockets of North 24 Parganas– Gaighata, Bangaon Dakshin, Habra — the story repeated itself.
The Matua community has largely backed the BJP since 2019, drawn by the promise of citizenship through the CAA. Now, many in that base allege they are off the rolls.
BJP ACKNOWLEDGES DELETIONS
Subrata Thakur, a BJP MLA from Gaighata and chief of one Matua Mahasangha faction, acknowledged the scale. “Thousands of Matua voters have been deleted in Gaighata. But not every Matua is a BJP voter. Anti-incumbency against the Mamata Banerjee government is bringing new voters to us,” he said.
On the fate of those removed, he added, “Their names will be added back. Relief will also come through CAA-NRC”.
Even as deletions mounted, internal fissures within the Matua leadership remained visible. Subrata Thakur has split from his brother, Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, forming his own faction of the Mahasangha.
“Differences in functioning led to this. Even five factions may not be enough to address issues of crores of Matuas,” Subrata said. His Mahasangha office now doubles as a BJP election strategy hub. He insisted voter deletions will not hurt his prospects.
On the ground, however, anxiety ran deep. For many, voter ID is not just about elections. It is a marker of identity and belonging.
In Chandpara, under Bangaon Dakshin, Biswajeet Biswas, 33, pulled out a stack of identity documents. Every member of his family, except his wife, has been removed from the rolls.
“My parents fled Bangladesh in 1992 due to violence. I was born here two years later. We supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoping for citizenship,” he said.
Biswajeet, who uses an electric wheelchair that also serves as his ice cream cart, faced a double setback. The wheelchair battery is dead. So, effectively, is his vote — at least for now.
“Five members of my family are off the list. Only my wife, Aduri Biswas, remains. We voted in 2019 and 2024. Why delete us now? Why not then? I am angry with the BJP. We supported them expecting citizenship. Now our votes are gone. BJP leaders haven’t come here. The TMC candidate has,” he said.
He pointed to documents including school certificates, job cards, government-issued IDs. “This house was given under a state scheme using the same documents now deemed invalid by the ECI,” he added.
His mother, Mukti, oscillated between confusion and hope. “They won’t send us to Bangladesh. We have built our home here,” she said.
ECONOMIC STRAIN DEEPENS UNCERTAINTY
On a nearby highway, Prakash Roy invited the India Today TV team to his home. His wife, Beena, who migrated to India before turning 10, no longer figured in the electoral rolls.
Prakash’s elder brother is visibly shaken. “I worked with the RSS for 10 years. Shantanu Thakur had said no Matua name will be cut. Is she a Muslim?” he asked, holding back his tears.
He believed Beena’s name will return. But the process has shaken the family. “Why harass her? Her daughter is 13. This questions her very existence,” he said.
Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, MP from Bangaon and head of another Mahasangha faction, dismissed the concerns. “I don’t know who said Matuas are anxious. People are happy with SIR. They know citizenship will come and voting rights too,” he claimed.
When asked about reports of 10,000-15,000 deletions in nearby constituencies, he said, “I have assured them their names will be restored. Apply for CAA”.
On citizenship figures, he estimated that 3,000-4,000 Matuas have received Indian citizenship so far.
He has also previously said he would accept removal of one lakh Matua names if it led to the deletion of 50 lakh Bangladeshi Muslims from voter rolls.
In Habra’s Sukanto Sarani, the issue extends beyond Matuas. Hindu voters outside the community reported similar deletions.
Unnati Pal said her parents’ names existed on the 2002 list. “They have died. But my name is now removed,” she said. Her son remained on the rolls.
Baburam Pal, a Matua who settled in Habra 15 years ago, said he voted in the last three elections. “I showed Aadhaar, PAN, ration card. Still, my name wasn’t cleared. Six members from my neighbour’s house have also been deleted,” he alleged.
Originally from Jessore in Bangladesh, he claimed ‘innumerable’ Matua names have been removed in his locality.
Like many others, he survived on odd jobs and small cart earnings. For him, voter identity is a fragile but vital link to India and to the promise of citizenship.
BJP BANKS OF ANTI-INCUMBENCY
The political stakes are significant. In 2021, the BJP won 5 out of 33 Assembly seats in this belt — Gaighata, Bagdah, Bangaon Dakshin, Bangaon Uttar, and Bhatpara. Except for Bhatpara, victory margins ranged from around 5 per cent in Gaighata to just 1 per cent in Bangaon Dakshin.
In constituencies decided by such narrow gaps, deletions within a core support base could prove decisive. The BJP, however, is banking on anti-incumbency against the Mamata Banerjee government to offset the impact.
QUICK FACTS
- Matuas, or Namasudras, are among the two largest Dalit communities in West Bengal
- Their influence spans 45–50 Assembly seats, particularly in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and Dinajpur
- The community was organised by Shri Shri Harichand Thakur and Shri Shri Guruchand Thakur against caste hierarchies in regions now in Bangladesh
- In 2019, the BJP consolidated Matua support through the Thakur family, promising citizenship under CAA
- One Mahasangha faction is led by TMC MP Mamata Bala Thakur, while two others are headed by Subrata Thakur and Shantanu Thakur, both aligned with the BJP
