Defeating BJP in Matua-majority Bongaon in 2026 assembly polls non-negotiable, says TMC’s Abhishek

Kolkata, Sep 8 (PTI) TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday set the tone for the party's 2026 Assembly poll campaign in Matua-majority in West Bengal’s Bongaon, declaring that "defeating the BJP here is non-negotiable." Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district has emerged as a key political battleground, with the BJP wrestling both Bongaon North and Bongaon South Assembly seats in the 2021 assembly polls, and retaining its grip in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Keen to reclaim lost ground, the TMC has identified Bongaon as a priority district in its fourth-term bid.

At a closed-door meeting with the party's organisational leadership from Bongaon, Banerjee who is considered the number two in the party’s hierarchy, delivered a blunt message.

"He (Banjerjee) has said that the Matua stronghold must be won. There is no second word on this. He has asked party workers to fight unitedly and ensure the BJP's inroads in the community are reversed," a TMC leader present at the meeting quoted him as saying.

The Lok Sabha MP asked district leaders why the BJP's vote share was rising among Matuas and urged them to establish "constant, grassroots-level communication" with the community.

Banerjee asked the leaders to understand why people are drifting away, and directed them to address their concerns and leave no scope for division of votes.

Banerjee left little ambiguity in his instructions: "Come 2026, Bongaon must return to the TMC fold. No excuses will be accepted." The TMC leader also reminded cadres of the 2023 flashpoint when his ‘Nabajowar yatra’, a public outreach programme, was disrupted near the Thakurbari, the spiritual and political heart of the Matua community.

The chaos then was blamed on infighting within rival Thakur family factions. On Monday, Banerjee recalled the incident to emphasise the need for organisational vigilance and unity.

Senior leaders present at the meeting included Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur, Bagda MLA Madhurima Thakur, and former MLA Biswajit Das. All were directed to set aside differences and concentrate solely on recapturing Bongaon.

The BJP, meanwhile, is banking on the Centre's fresh notification under the which it hopes will resonate with Matua voters, many of whom are migrants from Bangladesh.

In a gazette notification last week, the government has exempted persons belonging to minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — who sought shelter in India on grounds of religious persecution on or before December 31, 2024, without valid travel documents, would not be prosecuted under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

The TMC is running a counter-campaign, branding the move as an election gimmick.

Adding to the churn, the Thakur family, the community's most prominent political force, remains divided, with factions pulling in different directions.

In a fresh twist, a section of the Matua leadership recently met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, signalling potential shifts in allegiance.

Political observers say these cross-currents could make the battle for Bongaon in 2026 one of Bengal's fiercest electoral contests.

"With the BJP aggressively wooing the Matuas and the TMC desperate to reclaim its traditional support base, the equations in Bongaon are bound to get complex," a senior political analyst said. PTI PNT NN