TMC’s Madhuparna Thakur, from the Matua family, is contesting against her sister-in-law, BJP’s Soma Thakur, in West Bengal’s Bagda seat. Both parties are banking on the crucial Matua community vote in this closely watched family contest.
Family Feud in Bagda Constituency
Madhuparna Thakur, a representative of the Matua Thakur family and the Trinamool candidate for the Bagda constituency, cast her vote at a polling booth in Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas as the polling for the second phase of the West Bengal elections is underway. Madhuparna Thakur is contesting against her sister-in-law and Union Minister Shantanu Thakur’s wife, Soma Thakur.
The TMC leader said that her personal relationship did not come in the way of the elections. “The voting is underway peacefully here (in Thakurnagar). In Bagda, the people are very simple and educated. I was a councillor from there. The people of Bagda consider me their daughter. My relationship with my sister-in-law (who is contesting against her on the BJP ticket) will not come in the way of this election as I will give my 100 per cent,” Madhuparna Thakur told ANI.
Battle for Matua Vote Bank
The Bagda seat has been held by three different parties in the last three elections. In the 2021 polls, the BJP leader Biswajit Das won against TMC’s Paritosh Kumar Saha by a margin of 9,792 (4.5 per cent). The seat was won by Congress in 2016 and TMC in 2011.
In a contest of two family members, both the BJP and the TMC are banking on the Matua community’s vote. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have assured the Matua community of getting citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
West Bengal Second Phase Polling Underway
West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 18.39 per cent until 9 am, as polling for the 142 seats in the second phase of the Assembly elections is underway. Bagda constituency recorded a voter turnout of 16.63 per cent at 9 am.
The main fight in West Bengal in the 2026 elections is between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. Earlier in the day, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari inspected the polling booths in Bhabanipur constituency.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote at the Mitra Institute polling booth in Bhabanipur. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)