‘Jhalmuri’ The Flavour Of Bengal & Delhi As BJP Races Towards Landmark Victory

Kolkata: One of the many images that stood out from the build-up to the West Bengal Assembly election was Prime Minister Narendra Modi buying local snack ‘jhalmuri’ from a roadside eatery in Jhargram, in between hectic campaigning last month.

It sparked a political war of words as Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and the state’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee described it as a “stage-managed” photo op.

The Prime Minister mocked Mamata’s comment, saying, “I ate the jhalmuri, but the jhal (spice) hit Trinamool.”

Modi also announced from one of his election rallies that jhalmuri would be distributed on May 4, predicting victory for the saffron party.

On Monday, as the BJP surged to a landmark victory, jhalmuri was back in limelight.

With BJP leading in all four Assembly constituencies in Jhargram, and in 203 of the total 294 seats in the state, the humble but popular puffed-rice snack became the toast of not just Bengal but the national Capital as well.

BJP workers were seen distributing jhalmuri as part of celebrations at the party office in Kolkata.

Members of the Delhi cabinet, under chief minister Rekha Gupta, and other BJP leaders also enjoyed the traditional Bengali snack.

It was BJP’s message symbolising a cultural nod to as it revelled in the first-ever conquest of the state in eastern India which was ruled by the Congress, Left Front and Trinamool since Independence.