Kolkata: A large number of people from the Matua community staged a roadblock in front of the Gaighata BDO office on Jessore Road after their names were removed from the voter list.
Protests have been taking place across Bengal after a large number of people who had previously enjoyed voting rights have found their names removed from the electoral rolls in Bengal.
The Matuas, who have been a decisive voting bloc for the BJP since 2019, are now expressing panic and frustration over their voter status, changing the political dynamics ahead of the assembly elections.
Many fear they would eventually be denied their right to vote, along with possible loss of access to benefits linked to electoral identity, intensifying anxiety that persisted since the start of the special intensive revision (SIR) of the poll rolls.
Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal stated that a significant number of names excluded from the roll belong to the Matua community. Nearly 20 Matua and Namasudra-dominated Assembly constituencies in North 24-Parganas, Nadia, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling have been tense.
BJP leaders claimed that those whose names have been omitted will have to apply for citizenship under the CAA. There is no alternative. This time, they may not be able to vote.Their names will appear in the voter list later. Trinamool Congress alleged that the BJP conspired to remove the names of Matua refugees from the voter list.