Overview

• Union minister Shantanu Thakur and his elder brother, BJP MLA Subrata Thakur, have taken their dispute public after rival documentation camps were set up near Thakurnagar’s Nat Mandir.
• The clash centers on issuing “Matua cards” and caste certificates linked to Citizenship Amendment Act processes, with Subrata objecting to using the temple precincts and alleging beneficiaries were being sidelined.
• Subrata accused Shantanu of monopolising community institutions and running an extortion racket, while Shantanu alleged his brother is eyeing a switch to the Trinamool Congress.
• The family has split, with mother Chhabirani Thakur, TMC MP Mamatabala Thakur and TMC MLA Madhuparna Thakur backing Subrata, and father Manjulkrishna Thakur siding with Shantanu and affirming permission for the Nat Mandir camp.
• West Bengal BJP leaders, including Shamik Bhattacharya and Suvendu Adhikari, have told cadres to keep quiet as the TMC highlights the rift and analysts warn of repercussions for the BJP’s Matua support ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.