BJP Serves Jhalmuri at West Bengal Swearing-In After Historic Win

The Bharatiya Janata Party served jhalmuri at the swearing-in ceremony of West Bengal's first BJP government at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground on May 9, 2026, turning a humble street snack into a symbol of political triumph. Twenty official stalls were set up across the venue, with dozens of attendees seen consuming the puffed rice snack amid celebrations marking the party's breakthrough in the eastern state.

The snack gained political prominence during the campaign after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ate jhalmuri at a roadside stall in Jhargram on April 19, triggering a war of words with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who dismissed the moment as staged. Banerjee later mocked that she would send Modi bhelpuri from Delhi, while Modi vowed to distribute jhalmuri and sweets after victory.

Attendees at the ceremony embraced the symbolism, with supporters like Manjari Basu of Tollygunge and Manish Yadav from Barrackpore citing the snack as a marker of BJP's electoral success. Independent vendors also reported high sales around the periphery of the event grounds.

The jhalmuri service formed part of the BJP's public celebration of its mandate in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, where it unseated the Trinamool Congress after 15 years. The new chief minister and council of ministers took their oaths in the presence of senior national leaders.

The government will begin formal operations on May 10, with the chief minister scheduled to address the assembly for the first time on May 12.