Two prominent communities in north and south Bengal, known for their leanings toward the BJP, voted Trinamul in large numbers in the rural polls.

The trends of results till late Tuesday evening in the two lower tiers — the panchayat samiti and the gram panchayat — hinted that the Matuas and the Rajbanshis solidly backed Mamata Banerjee’s party.

In the Matua-dominated belts of North 24-Parganas such as Bongaon, Bagdah, Gaighata and Swarupnagar, results and trends in the evening hinted that Trinamul won 49 panchayats out of the 53 in these areas. The BJP won only one.

The BJP lost Ichhapur, the panchayat where the party MP and All India Matua Mahasangha chief Shantanu Thakur lives. The BJP even lost in the booth where Thakur, also a junior Union minister, is a voter.

“We are very happy that the Matua community reposed faith in Mamata Banerjee. It is a befitting reply to the BJP and Shantanu Thakur in particular, as they misled the community... with fake citizenship promises,” said Biswasjit Das, the Trinamul president of Bongaon (organisational) district.

Similar is the trend in Matua-dominated belts of Nadia, said observers. At the panchayat level, Trinamul won 146 seats in the Matua-dominated Ranaghat I and II blocks. The BJP could secure 103 seats till evening.

BJP leaders claimed this wasn’t a “true reflection” of the opinion of the Matuas.

“Certain factors and illegal activities affected the results. I am sure the Matuas will stay with the BJP and Trinamul will realise it in next year’s Lok Sabha polls,” said BJP MLA and Nadia district president of All India Matua Mahasangha Mukutmani Adhikari.

Like the Matuas, the Rajbanshis, who decide election results in around three districts of north Bengal, have largely voted Trinamul over the BJP.

“The BJP... even engaged Jibon Singha (the KLO chief) and played the statehood card to polarise votes. But people backed us over development,” said Partha Pratim Roy, Trinamul’s spokesperson in Cooch Behar.

In Cooch Behar, with 2,507 seats in panchayats in nine blocks, each with a good presence of Rajbanshis, Trinamul won almost 1,000 seats by Tuesday evening. The BJP bagged 350-odd seats.

Political observers pointed out the “non-performance” of BJP MPs in the Rajbanshi belts led to the community’s support for Trinamul. “In some parts of north Bengal, the BJP talked about highways, airports and railway stations. These may impact Assembly or parliamentary elections. But in the rural polls, grassroots benefits given by the Mamata government worked,” said an observer.

Mamata reaction

Chief minister and Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee said she and her entire “Trinamul Congress family”were grateful for “your unprecedented support, unbridled love, and boundless blessings in this panchayat election”.

“I accord my sincere best wishes and congratulations to every Ma-Mati-Manush (mother-soil-person).... The twin-flowers (Trinamul’s symbol) bloom again in rural Bengal.... This victory is also a victory of the masses I worship as a deity. Thiselection proved yet againthat Trinamul Congressoccupies the hearts of thepeople of Bengal,” she said.

She added that her party “is ever-determined toestablish a people’s panchayat” and “work together forthe development andprogress of my beloved Bengal”.