Mapping the Vote: A Spatial-Electoral Analysis of Matua Community’s Influence in West Bengal Assembly Elections

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial patterns of ethnic voting in the Matua-influenced constituencies of West Bengal, drawing on electoral data from the Assembly Elections of 2011, 2016 and 2021. Using official datasets from the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal and the Election Commission of India, the study analyses variations in vote share and electoral outcomes across regions with high Matua concentrations. The paper draws on insights from field surveys and secondary literature to explore the underlying causes of vote shifting and changing party allegiance: historical displacement, economic marginalization, developmental aspirations and evolving socio-cultural identities. The research further explores the strategies adopted by political parties to consolidate Matua support by means religious symbolism, welfare schemes, candidate selection and rhetorical appeals to community identity, as reflected in party manifestos and media discourse. The findings show that Matua's voting behaviour embodies a dynamic interplay between ethnic identity and development policy. Linking spatial data to socio-political analysis for a deeper understanding of the ways in which ethnicity shapes electoral outcomes and political mobilization in contemporary West Bengal.