West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | Maach, muri and more: Can parties net Bengalis over promise of 'jhol' & 'jhal'?

"If he wants to eat fish, I can cook it for him…"

Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s very hospitable ‘offer’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi was amongst her many ‘fishy’ onslaughts on the BJP veteran while on her campaign trails in the run up to the state elections, set to begin Thursday. Banerjee and her party leaders have consistently attacked the saffron party for not being aligned with Bengalis- be it their choice of food or the language or in sync with Bengali 'asmita'. 

The TMC has accused the BJP of imposing vegetarianism and warned the public that the party will prevent people from eating fish, meat and eggs if it comes to power in the state. For a state that has close to 98% population who identify as non-vegetarian, an idea akin to this is simply catastrophic, especially to the Bengali bhadralok (gentry) who still prides on his fish-buying skills every morning at the local market. (True story!)

On a 'fishy trail'

The BJP has fought hard to fight the state government on its claims. One of the first images to counter the TMC emerged when a first-time candidate from the BJP, Sharadwat Mukherjee, who is contesting from the Biddhanagar seat canvassed his assembly with a jumbo sized ‘catla’ fish in hand. The move turned heads, as was expected. Mukherjee had explained his reasoning that it was to counter chief minister Banerjee’s narrative that a BJP government will deprive the people of fish, a cultural staple. Mukherjee’s viral campaign was soon followed by several other party leaders, armed with the beloved ‘maach’ to aid their campaign. And it was always the humble rohu or catla, the freshwater varieties to assuage the doubts of the maache-bhaate Bangali. (fish-rice eating Bengali).

The 'maach' culture

In Bengal, fish is not just food, it is intertwined in their daily lives, a part of culture including festivities, identity and a one that gives a sense of belonging in the broader sense. It is accorded a pride of place in its annual cultural and religious extravaganza of Durga Puja and weddings too and thus the fact that it has slithered right into the middle of the political tangle isn't too difficult to fathom.

Extending beyond discourse on dietary freedom or restriction, BJP upped the ante. His vegetarian ways may have prevented Narendra Modi from arming himself with a fish for campaign like his chosen candidates did, but he made sure he targeted Banerjee’s state for losing out on fish production and accused the TMC of failing to feed it to its population.

"Bengal imports fish from other states. In the last 15 years, the TMC government has taken no worthwhile step to enhance supply and attain self-sufficiency in fish production," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the BJP, after coming to power in the state, would make the state self-sufficient in fisheries and the seafood sector.

Banerjee hit back too, slamming the PM for his remarks and countered his claims. Banerjee said, "The Centre exports meat from here (Bengal). We export beef from here to Oman. We produce fish in our ponds. People here are free to eat as per their choice. We do not interfere. But in BJP-ruled states people are not allowed to eat eggs, fish and meat."

Banerjee’s claims surely hold some weight, especially when incidents of meat banning on religious festivals have surfaced in the past few years, something that is unheard of in West Bengal, aligning with the state's largely non-vegetarian palette.

And TMC has been trying to drive home the claim of intolerance by the saffron party towards the state's food habits, starting as early as last year when a chicken patty seller was thrashed by some alleged right-wing members outside a Gita recital event. 

But even as the final hours of the campaigning in the state drew to a close, BJP has kept up its fight that included a Bangla-speaking Smriti Irani eating mishti to even getting Anurag Thakur to sit down to a meal of shorshe (mustard) maach and bhaat.

"We are eating meat, fish and rice. The BJP has its own governments in 16 states. NDA has its government in 20 states and there is no restriction anywhere on anyone's speech, food or worship,” Thakur added.

But fish isn’t the only that has got the netas and the public all tangled up in its jhol this time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi snacking on the humble jhalmuri while on a campaign in the state’s Jhargram turned into the internet’s darling over the past couple days, so much so that TV channels dedicated entire shows with reporters walking up to the snack sellers to enquire how it is made. (In short, puffed rice mixed with some slit green chilis, some spices, mustard oil and bob’s your uncle!)

While Mamata Banerjee called it ‘shob drama’ by the PM and said the SPG commandos made it for Modi, the BJP questioned the TMC chief if she ever supported small time traders.  

"In the past 15 years, did the chief minister ever visit a small shop and buy something to eat? The prime minister did so. Even a small vendor selling goods worth Rs 10 feels encouraged that the prime minister can eat at his shop. This is not a small incident. Its impact will be seen in the elections," he said.

While the most prominent bone of contention between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP indeed is the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, the persuasive visuals away from the long queues of deleted voters outside tribunals have mostly been dominated by fish and fowl. Not a lot of policy but about identity, culture and the plate. Manifestos by both the BJP and TMC have included freebies for youth and women, with both sides to trying to one-up each other but that has not lingered on. While it remains to be seen which one will Bengal ultimately pick and fish and jhalmuri may not decide which way the state sways on May 4,the maach has definitely shaped the contest, thus making a strong case of blending politics with food & culture.