A feud between the two Thakur brothers of the electorally influential Matua community — Shantanu and Subrata — erupted into an open family fight on Sunday, leaving the BJP leadership deeply embarrassed.
The rift took an ugly turn when Shantanu Thakur, Bongaon BJP MP and junior member of the Narendra Modi cabinet for shipping and Sanghadhipati of the All India Matua Mahasangha, allegedly threatened his elder brother Subrata, the BJP’s Gaighata MLA, and abused their mother Chhabirani Thakur.
Their aunt, Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Mamata Bala Thakur, intervened as peacemaker.
Shantanu, who is the BJP’s Bongaon MP, accused Subrata of plotting to join Trinamool and engaging in theatrics for sympathy before defecting in hopes of a ministerial berth.
Subrata lashed out at his younger brother, accusing him of running a “dalal raj” within the Mahasangha and siphoning money.
Their mother Chhabirani blamed Shantanu for "depriving" Subrata and running the Mahasangha "autocratically".
“I felt helpless and sought support from Mamata Bala as the family elder. Shantanu is ruling everything and Subrata is nowhere,” the mother said.
Their father Manjul Krishna Thakur defended Shantanu.
Manjul Krishna and his sons were formerly in Trinamool, along with Mamata Bala’s deceased husband, Kapil Krishna Thakur, Trinamool’s former Bongaon MP. Kapil Krishna and Mamata Bala’s daughter, Madhuparna, became the youngest MLA last year at age 25 from Bagda.
Kapil Krishna and Manjul Krishna are sons of deceased Matua matriarch Binapani Debi — better known as Boro Ma — and her husband, the Thakurnagar shrine’s founder, Pramatha Ranjan Thakur.
The Matua community is believed to play a decisive role in over 30 Assembly seats and wield some clout in another 50.
On Saturday, Shantanu moved a camp for issuing Matua identity cards from outside his home on the Naat Mandir premises. The move, the insiders said, was significant against the backdrop of the proposed special intensive revision of the voter list.
Both brothers set up camps in front of their respective homes to distribute the cards, but Shantanu’s decision to shift to the Naat Mandir angered Subrata.
“The Naat Mandir cannot be used for such purposes. Devotees come to pray there. When I objected, Shantanu warned that he would use his clout to deny me a ticket for next year’s polls,” Subrata told journalists.
Shantanu countered: “There was nothing wrong in using the Naat Mandir premises (to distribute Matua ID cards) for the community’s welfare. He (Subrata) is jealous of my rise as a Union minister. Realising he cannot become a minister as a BJP MLA in Bengal, he seeks to join Trinamool.”
He claimed their mother was siding with Subrata out of misplaced sympathy.
Subrata rubbished suggestions of a defection plan.
Their father said he allowed Shantanu to hold the camp at the Naat Mandir.
Aunt Mamata Bala took a sharp dig at Shantanu: “His mother Chhabirani came to me with genuine concerns. Shantanu is taking money for the identity cards.”