BJP’s CAA Help Desks Target Matua Voters to Counter TMC’s ‘Bengali Asmita’ Narrative

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched an aggressive campaign to recapture the Matua vote in West Bengal by rolling out Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) help desks, branded as ‘CAA Sahajogita Shibirs,’ to blunt Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Bangali Asmita’ (Bengali pride) narrative ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Starting in Bagda and expanding to Bongaon South, Gaighata, and other Matua-dominated areas in North 24 Parganas and Nadia, these desks assist undocumented refugees, primarily Hindu migrants from Bangladesh, in applying for citizenship under the CAA, which was notified in March 2024.

The BJP’s “apply first, verify later” approach, backed by the CAA’s 10-D clause, assures persecuted non-Muslim migrants entering India before December 31, 2014, that they cannot be expelled for lacking documents. Volunteers, including those from the All India Matua Mahasangha led by Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, help applicants fill online forms at indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in, secure affidavits, and issue application receipts. “CAA is our commitment to persecuted Hindus. We’re ensuring smooth implementation despite documentation challenges,” said West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.

The campaign, aiming to reach 1.5 crore people by 2026, responds to incidents like the July 2025 detention of a Matua family in Pune, despite valid documents, which TMC leveraged to accuse the BJP of targeting Bengalis in BJP-ruled states. Mahasangha’s Mahitosh Baidya emphasized, “This isn’t just for Matuas but all persecuted Hindus across Bengal, from tea gardens to border villages.” Mobile booths and training programs in Thakurnagar, the Matua spiritual hub, are intensifying outreach.

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TMC’s counteroffensive, led by Mamata Banerjee and MP Mamata Bala Thakur, paints the CAA as a BJP “gimmick” that risks branding Matuas as refugees, potentially stripping their existing rights. “If CAA is so empowering, why are Matuas still harassed in Maharashtra?” Thakur questioned, citing the Pune incident. Banerjee alleges the BJP’s policies, including calls for a Bihar-style voter roll revision, threaten Bengali Hindus, a narrative resonating in constituencies like Ranaghat and Krishnagar, where Matuas hold sway.

Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty warns that the BJP’s strategy could backfire if mass application rejections occur during district-level hearings, reinforcing TMC’s claims of a “political stunt.” However, even a few successful citizenship grants could bolster the BJP’s credibility. In 2024, only eight Matuas received citizenship in West Bengal, with 25,000 applications pending, highlighting implementation hurdles. The BJP’s vote share in Matua-heavy seats like Bongaon (53%) and Ranaghat (51%) in 2024 shows its influence, but TMC’s victories in six of 11 such constituencies underline the challenge.

With 23.5% of Bengal’s population being Scheduled Castes, including Matuas, and 27% minorities, the CAA battle is reshaping Bengal’s identity politics. The BJP’s “Hindu Hindu Bhai Bhai, 2026 BJP Chahi” slogan seeks a 5% Hindu vote swing to topple TMC’s dominance, while Banerjee’s emotive Bengali pride rhetoric aims to retain her base. As both parties vie for the Matua heartland, the 2026 polls loom as a high-stakes clash of credibility and identity.

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