The summer of 2021, Bengal polls or neighbourhood first?

As PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at Dhaka to take part in official celebrations to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh as well as the birth centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Dipankar Bose, News Coordinator, Etv Bharat explores the significance of this visit in the backdrop of the West Bengal polls.

Hyderabad (Telangana): A day before West Bengal goes to the polls in eight phases, PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at Dhaka for a two-day trip to take part in official celebrations lined up to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh as well as the birth centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding figure of Bangladesh.

A state visit and that too the first of the PM since the outbreak of the pandemic is significant in itself. It assumes more significance as several unresolved issues between the two nations keep coming up time and again, be it infiltration, be it the trade disparity between the two countries or the vexed Teesta River dispute issue. Obviously, the participation of Bangladesh in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is also something, which New Delhi would like to look closely at.

But, apart from all these, Modi's March 27 itinerary, on the day when Bengal goes for the first phase of polls, is standing out. And that is because of his planned trips to Dhaka's neighbouring Satkhira and Gopalganj districts. The PM is scheduled to pay his obeisance at the Jessoreshwari Temple in Ishwaripur, a hamlet in Satkhira. And then, he will pay his respects at a temple in Orakandi in Gopalganj district. Jerroreshwar Temple is a well known Hindu shrine in Bangladesh, thronged daily by many, but why Orakandi? What is so special about this place?

Well, Orakandi is the birthplace of Matua community patriarch Harichand Thakur. The same Harichand Thakur, who had migrated to India after partition and is known to have worked for uplifting the untouchables in Bengal. He had founded the Matua sect, a closely-knit Hindu sect belonging to the Namasudra community or Dalits. After Harichand's death, one of his sons, Guruchand Thakur, took over from where his father left and is credited with organising the sect and its people.

So, why is Modi so inclined to visit the Orakandi temple, the holy site of the Matuas during his second visit of Bangladesh? The answer could well be lying embedded in the over 2.5 crore voters of West Bengal who had over the period migrated from Bangladesh, and out of whom a little over one crore voters belong to the Matua community. And this poll season, the saffron party is heavily banking on them.

For the record, the districts along the Indo-Bangla border have a sizable number of Hindu-refugees. The Matuas, who had mostly migrated to India since 1971 are the deciding factors in 30 Assembly seats. A number, which no party can afford to ignore, be it the BJP, the Trinamool Congress or the Left Front alliance.

Again for the record, BJP has already tasted success by defeating sitting Trinamool Lok Sabha members from the seats of Bongaon and Ranaghat in the 2019 polls, both seats heavily dominated by the Matuas.

But, it has been 15 months since the Citizenship Amendment Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha, but the Government is yet to frame the rules to implement the laws. And the Matuas are getting restless. They had banked heavily on the BJP in the hope of getting citizenship. Till date, it has drawn a blank.

For Trinamool supremo and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been sparring bitterly with both Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah all through the campaigns this poll season, the Matua votes are extremely dear. In fact, she will go a long extent to ensure that the sect's support remains with her as it did in the 2016 Assembly polls. Modi's visit to Orakandi and the sentiments attached to the site could change many poll equations among the Matuas and for Mamata knows it well.

There is no doubt that the PM's Bangladesh visit on Friday next could pave way for talks on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which could take the economic ties between the two countries to the next level, but surely many eyes from Bengal will be closely watching the moves of Narendra Modi in the Orakandi temple of Harichand Thakur and its repercussions on the outcome of Bengal polls.