Voter roll revisions trigger Matua protests across Bengal

Anger over voter list revisions and the alleged assault on a Matua religious leader triggered statewide road blockades in West Bengal on Monday, called by a Trinamool Congress (TMC)-backed faction of the All India Matua Mahasangha.

The protests were announced in response to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which Matua leaders allege has led to the exclusion of “legitimate voters” from the community. Road blockades were reported or planned across parts of North 24 Parganas, Nadia and South 24 Parganas districts , where the Matuas have a strong presence.

The immediate trigger was an alleged attack on a Matua gosai from Shyamnagar, who had gone to the Thakurnagar temple complex in North 24 Parganas after his name was reportedly deleted from the voter list. TMC-backed Matua leaders accused supporters of Union Minister and BJP leader Shantanu Thakur of assaulting him, a charge denied by the BJP.

Tensions have simmered since December 24, when protests over the draft electoral rolls turned the Thakurnagar temple precinct considered the spiritual headquarters of the Matua faith into a flashpoint. TMC leaders claimed supporters of Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakur were injured in clashes allegedly involving followers of Shantanu Thakur, an incident described by sections of the community as a “humiliating blow” to gosais.

The Mahasangha alleged a “planned attack” by cadres linked to the BJP and the RSS, and said the protests were aimed at seeking a probe into the assault and restoration of deleted voter names.

The agitation coincides with the publication of the Election Commission’s SIR draft rolls and ahead of the second phase of verification hearings, raising political stakes for parties dependent on the Matua vote base across 40-50 Assembly constituencies.

The Matuas, a Dalit Hindu refugee community that migrated from present-day Bangladesh over decades, are concentrated in North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia. The first statewide SIR since 2002 has revived anxieties over identity and voting rights. EC data show 58.2 lakh names excluded statewide, with Matua leaders claiming their community has been disproportionately affected, potentially influencing the 2026 Assembly elections.