Trends from the West Bengal Assembly election indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead in Jhargram, the region where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had eaten jhalmuri during his campaign.
BJP’s Lakshmi Kanta Sau is leading from Jhargram by over 30,196 votes against TMC’s Mongal Saren. So far, 18 rounds of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes have been counted out of a total of 21. Follow Bengal election result live here.
Modi ate jhalmuri in Jhargram
The prime minister had shared a video on his official X handle showing him purchasing 'jhalmuri', a well-known Bengali street snack prepared using puffed rice, green chillies and spices, from a small shop in Jhargram during his campaign ahead of the polls.
He was accompanied by security staff and paid the vendor for the snack.
Mamata Banerjee termed it a "drama". She said, "It was only a show. The 'jhalmuri' he had was not made by the shopkeeper," suggesting that the snack might have been prepared by the SPG (Special Protection Group).
{{/usCountry}}Mamata Banerjee termed it a "drama". She said, "It was only a show. The 'jhalmuri' he had was not made by the shopkeeper," suggesting that the snack might have been prepared by the SPG (Special Protection Group).
{{/usCountry}}She challenged Modi, saying that if the prime minister "wants to eat fish, I will cook it for him myself".
Jhalmuri factor in Jhargam?
Jhargram assembly constituency has been a TMC stronghold since the 2011 assembly elections, with Mamata Banerjee’s party winning it in 2016 as well as the 2021 elections.
However, Modi’s jhalmuri act in the region seems to have upped the BJP’s chances, as the saffron party’s candidate is racing ahead of the TMC rival in the constituency.
Across the state, the BJP is looking to form a government on its own in Bengal for the first time, having breached Mamata Banerjee’s fortress and reducing the TMC to under 100 seats in the recently concluded elections.