Trinamul MLA Samir Kumar Poddar is dancing to the tune of kirtans on the streets of his constituency in Nadia’s Ranaghat, ostensibly to win the hearts of the influential Matua community ahead of Bengal polls.
A two-time Trinamul MLA from Ranaghat North-East (SC) constituency and a decorator by profession, Poddar launched a door-to-door campaign with his troupe of kirtanias last week to reach out to the Matuas — a bulk of whose votes shifted to the BJP in the 2019 parliamentary elections.
From one home to another, Poddar dances to the beats of dongkas (drums) as his team chants “Hari bol”.
“I have begun interacting with people of my community to understand their problems and know their expectations from the Matua Development Board, which the state government has recently formed. I often call on Matua community members when they invite me and take part in religious gatherings. There is nothing unusual in it,” Poddar said.
A Trinamul leader said Ranaghat North-East (SC) segment had 65 per cent Matua voters — Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh who recently swung towards the BJP largely because of the party’s promise to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Amid kirtans, Poddar also explains to the Matuas the “futility” of the BJP’s promise on the citizenship issue and the delay in implementing the act.
The BJP scoffed at the MLA’s efforts at “song and dance” and said he had made himself a “laughing stock”.
“Samir Poddar has made himself a laughing stock among the Matuas,” BJP’s Nadia south president Bipul Ukil said. “He has been an MLA for the last 10 years but the community members have never seen him sing and dance to woo them...This is pure political compulsion.”
Poddar refused to acknowledge his door-to-door interaction with his team of kirtanias was pre-poll campaigning. “It is an attempt to understand the sentiments of community members, a section of whom got swayed by communal forces in 2019,” he said.
Former Trinamul MP and Matua leader Mamatabala Thakur accused the BJP of fooling the community with the citizenship offer.
“I have seen the impact of CAA in Assam. Bengalis in Assam are now fighting for their existence. The BJP is trying to rob Matuas of their citizenship,” she told the media on Thursday while refuting rumours of her joining the BJP.
Located close to Indo-Bangladesh border, the Ranaghat North East (SC) Assembly segment, a part of Ranaghat (SC) Lok Sabha constituency, is dominated by Matua voters. During the 34 years of Left rule, the CPM had a strong presence among them. In 2011, the support of the Matuas shifted towards Trinamul.
Poddar, helped by Matua votes, won the Assembly seat in 2011. In the 2016 Bengal polls, Poddar retained his seat but his winning margin shrunk significantly.
Trinamul’s worst performance, however, was in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP managed to dangle the bait of the CAA, and it triggered a massive erosion in Trinamul’s support base among the Matuas. The BJP made huge gains and Trinamul trailed in the Ranaghat North East (SC) Assembly segment by 43,226 votes.
