Jhalmuri turns victory snack as BJP workers celebrate Bengal triumph

Lucknow/Ghaziabad: BJP workers in UP and Delhi marked the party’s victory in West Bengal assembly elections on Monday with a unique celebration, by distributing jhalmuri, a popular Bengali snack.

The delicacy had already gained political significance after PM Narendra Modi stopped during campaigning in Bengal’s Jhargram to buy and eat the spicy snack, a moment that drew wide attention on social media.

Party workers turned the snack into a symbol of celebration, linking it to their electoral confidence. They said the spice of jhalmuri reflected the effect of BJP’s campaign against its rivals, especially Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.



In Ghaziabad, as MP Atul Garg handed a plate of jhalmuri during the celebrations, a party worker said, “The jhal (spice) was too much for TMC this time in Bengal’s jhalmuri that Mamata sure must have felt on her palate. Not taking away the credit from our leaders and party workers, but jhalmuri jadu (magic) did the trick for us, and what best way to celebrate BJP’s blockbuster entry into Bengal than enjoying it with jhalmuri.”

Garg had been assigned the charge of the Barrackpore constituency and stayed there for 18 days to oversee the party’s poll preparations.

Recalling his stay in Bengal, Garg said, “The jhalmuri factor gained traction after PM bought a packet of it in Jhargram while campaigning. I tried it after I met a mobile vendor selling jhalmuri. It was spicy, unlike the one I had elsewhere. It left a burning sensation in my mouth, but I’m sure today opposition must be feeling far worse.”

Among the assembly segments in Barrackpore, BJP’s Sidipta Das won from Bijpur. In Bhatpara, Jagatdal and Noapara, BJP candidates established unassailable leads. In Barrackpore, the contest between the BJP and TMC remained intense, while in Amdanga, TMC held a slender lead.

At Delhi secretariat, CM Rekha Gupta and cabinet ministers celebrated the victory with a jhalmuri gathering. Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal also held a jhalmuri party at a community centre.

In Varanasi, PM’s Lok Sabha constituency, MLA Saurabh Srivastava distributed the snack to party leaders instead of traditional bouquets.

Similar celebrations were reported in districts such as Shravasti, Agra, and Jhansi also. Along with jhalmuri, BJP workers across UP held gatherings and burst crackers to mark the victory.

(With inputs from New Delhi)
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