The Jhalmuri effect: BJP sweeps all Jhargram seats held by Trinamool
The BJP won all four Jhargram seats in the 'Jhalmuri' belt and achieved a breakthrough in battleground Bengal by dislodging the TMC. The humble jhalmuri piqued people's interest like never before after PM Modi had a taste of it during one of his rallies in Jhargram.
"I ate the jhalmuri, but the jhal (spice) hit Trinamool," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Bengal as the ruling party scoffed at his pit stop in Jhargram to have the quintessential Bengal street snack. The humble jhalmuri had its moment under the sun. And now, the BJP seems to be having its moment too, as it swept all four assembly seats in Jhargram district. In the state too, the BJP is set to form its maiden government in Bengal, a state it termed as its final frontier.
The BJP secured thumping wins in all four assembly seats of Bengal's Jhargram district - Nayagram, Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, and Binpur. Jhargram is part of the state's Junglemahal region, among the least developed in Bengal. SCs and STs comprise around 49% of the population, making them a decisive electoral bloc. They seem to have firmly backed the BJP this time.
WHEN PM MODI STOPPED TO HAVE JHALMURI
Now, before we go further, people outside Bengal may wonder what jhalmuri is. Jhalmuri, a popular street food in Bengal, is a spicy mixture of lentils, flattened rice (puffed rice or murmura), peanuts, bite-sized potatoes, and chopped onion.
Jhalmuri piqued people's interest like never before when PM Modi, during a poll campaign in Jhargram in April, stopped to enjoy the snack. He even gave Rs 10 to the muri-seller.
The TMC was quick to label it a "drama". "How come a camera was present when the Prime Minister suddenly made an unscheduled stop during the campaign? The entire episode was scripted," the party said.
However, it now seems PM Modi's jhalmuri break stung the TMC in Jhargram.
THE JHALMURI EFFECT IN BENGAL
The idea was to resonate with Bengalis by having its OG snack. A Prime Minister eating the same spicy food that is the staple of locals proved to be a symbolic gesture of proximity with the aam aadmi.
It was also a move to seemingly counter Trinamool's "bahiragoto" vs "bhumi-putra" debate (outsider vs insider). The Jhalmuri effect seems to have worked wonders for the BJP.
After all, jhalmuri isn't just food; it is a snack that carries a regional intimacy. PM Modi was well aware of it when he said last week that jhalmuri would be distributed when the election results are announced on May 4.
"On May 4, the celebration of the BJP's victory will also take place in Bengal, sweets will also be distributed, and jhalmuri will also be handed out," PM Modi said in his last election rally. Bengal's flavour is about to change.
"I ate the jhalmuri, but the jhal (spice) hit Trinamool," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Bengal as the ruling party scoffed at his pit stop in Jhargram to have the quintessential Bengal street snack. The humble jhalmuri had its moment under the sun. And now, the BJP seems to be having its moment too, as it swept all four assembly seats in Jhargram district. In the state too, the BJP is set to form its maiden government in Bengal, a state it termed as its final frontier.
The BJP secured thumping wins in all four assembly seats of Bengal's Jhargram district - Nayagram, Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, and Binpur. Jhargram is part of the state's Junglemahal region, among the least developed in Bengal. SCs and STs comprise around 49% of the population, making them a decisive electoral bloc. They seem to have firmly backed the BJP this time.
WHEN PM MODI STOPPED TO HAVE JHALMURI
Now, before we go further, people outside Bengal may wonder what jhalmuri is. Jhalmuri, a popular street food in Bengal, is a spicy mixture of lentils, flattened rice (puffed rice or murmura), peanuts, bite-sized potatoes, and chopped onion.
Jhalmuri piqued people's interest like never before when PM Modi, during a poll campaign in Jhargram in April, stopped to enjoy the snack. He even gave Rs 10 to the muri-seller.
The TMC was quick to label it a "drama". "How come a camera was present when the Prime Minister suddenly made an unscheduled stop during the campaign? The entire episode was scripted," the party said.
However, it now seems PM Modi's jhalmuri break stung the TMC in Jhargram.
THE JHALMURI EFFECT IN BENGAL
The idea was to resonate with Bengalis by having its OG snack. A Prime Minister eating the same spicy food that is the staple of locals proved to be a symbolic gesture of proximity with the aam aadmi.
It was also a move to seemingly counter Trinamool's "bahiragoto" vs "bhumi-putra" debate (outsider vs insider). The Jhalmuri effect seems to have worked wonders for the BJP.
After all, jhalmuri isn't just food; it is a snack that carries a regional intimacy. PM Modi was well aware of it when he said last week that jhalmuri would be distributed when the election results are announced on May 4.
"On May 4, the celebration of the BJP's victory will also take place in Bengal, sweets will also be distributed, and jhalmuri will also be handed out," PM Modi said in his last election rally. Bengal's flavour is about to change.
