West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to visit Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas — the nerve centre of the Matua community — as anxiety grows among residents over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. The move is being widely read as a strategic outreach before next year’s Assembly elections, especially in a region where the BJP made significant inroads during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
According to Trinamool Congress (TMC) insiders, the proposed rally aims to regain lost ground in Matua-dominated pockets across the India–Bangladesh border districts. The Matua community, comprising Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, has played a crucial role in shifting electoral dynamics across North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and adjoining areas.
On Thursday, former state minister and Habra MLA Jyotipriya Mallick met TMC’s district chairperson and Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur at Thakurbari — the traditional seat of the Matua leadership. The two leaders held a half-hour discussion on the political and social tension simmering in Bangaon subdivision.
Speaking after the meeting, Mamata Bala Thakur confirmed that the Chief Minister intends to hold a public programme in the region soon. “Didi (Mamata) has sent Jyotipriya Mallick for preliminary discussions. She wants to organise a meeting with the people of Chandpara and Thakurnagar. A final decision will be taken after these initial talks,” she said.
Mamata Bala, who has been on a hunger strike protesting against the SIR process, reportedly fell ill and had to be hospitalised. She claimed that “a section of the Matuas have been panicked about the SIR,” alleging that names from the community are being unfairly targeted during the revision drive.
TMC sources said although the date of the rally is yet to be finalised, the Chief Minister is expected to visit Thakurnagar “very soon.” The CM, they added, has clarified that the programme is not political but aimed at addressing the community’s concerns. “The serious problem that has arisen due to SIR has been discussed. Didi has assured us,” Mamata Bala noted.
After Thursday’s meeting, Jyotipriya Mallick took a sharp swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party without directly naming anyone. “Tears are in the eyes of our Matua brothers. Mamata Bala sat on a hunger strike and had to be hospitalised. At such a time, one person was vacationing in London. The Matuas will judge,” he said — referring to the viral social-media photos of BJP MP Shantanu Thakur’s family trip abroad during the SIR protests.
Mallick further questioned the SIR exercise, saying, “Who gave them the right to remove names from the voter list? This is a secular country. Everyone has the right to live here.”
As the SIR controversy deepens, Mamata Banerjee’s anticipated rally in Thakurnagar is poised to become a significant political flashpoint in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections.
Also read: Mamata writes CEC, seeks immediate halt to SIR citing BLO deaths
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