Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified his campaign in West Bengal on Sunday with a series of significant religious visits, signaling a renewed outreach to key cultural and social demographics ahead of the upcoming phases of the 2026 Assembly Elections. The Prime Minister offered prayers at the Thakurbari shrine in Thakurnagar, the spiritual headquarters of the Matua Mahasangha in North 24 Parganas. Dedicated to the community’s founders, Hari Chand Thakur and Guru Chand Thakur, the shrine is the focal point for the Matua community, a Namasudra group that wields substantial electoral influence in at least 34 Assembly seats across the state’s border districts.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister reflected on the profound social influence and teachings of the Matua founders, who have championed social reform and education for the marginalized since the 19th century. This visit follows a consistent pattern of engagement with the community, including Modi’s 2019 trip to Thakurnagar and his 2021 visit to Orakandi in Bangladesh, the birthplace of Hari Chand Thakur. Political analysts view this as a strategic effort to consolidate the Matua voting bloc, which has increasingly trended toward the BJP in recent years, particularly following discussions around the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Earlier on Sunday, the Prime Minister also visited the historic Thanthania Kalibari in North Kolkata. This 18th-century temple, dedicated to Maa Siddheshwari, is deeply rooted in the city’s religious identity and is famously associated with the mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Modi offered prayers at the shrine, which is known for its unique ritual traditions, including the offering of non-vegetarian prasad—a practice historically linked to Ramakrishna’s visits. The stop at Thanthania Kalibari preceded a massive roadshow through the streets of Kolkata, where the Prime Minister sought to bridge religious tradition with his party’s modern developmental narrative.
These high-profile visits come at a critical juncture as the “Bhadralok” vote and various marginalized communities become the primary battlegrounds in the contest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. By blending homage to historical icons with direct voter engagement, the Prime Minister aimed to strike a chord with both the urban middle class and rural agrarian communities. As the state moves toward the next polling dates, such symbolic gestures are expected to play a major role in the final consolidation of voter groups in highly contested regions.
