BJP’s victory feasts highlight Bengal food culture after poll win

MP, May 11, 2026, Kolkata:  For the entire duration of the fiercely contested West Bengal Assembly campaign, one of the sharpest political accusations levelled against the BJP was that the BJP government would threaten Bengal’s food culture, particularly the deeply rooted tradition of “maachh-bhaat”, the staple diet of millions of Bengali households. The charge, repeated across political platforms, sought to portray the party as culturally distant from Bengal’s identity.

But in the days following its victory, the scenes unfolding across the state have presented a sharply different political picture. From the heart of Kolkata to the coastal belt of Contai and rural stretches of Daspur, BJP workers have turned fish feasts into both celebration and political symbolism.

The biggest display came in central Kolkata, where soon after the formation of the new government, BJP workers organised what they called a “Matsya Utsav”. The elaborate Bengali menu included rice, lentils cooked with fish head, and fish curry. Senior leaders, including Tapas Roy and Dilip Ghosh, were seen sitting on traditional leaf plates and sharing the meal with party workers before supporters headed towards the historic Brigade Parade Ground.

Addressing party workers, Dilip Ghosh said: “They tried to convince Bengalis that BJP would take fish off their plates. Today Bengal can see who is actually celebrating its culture.”

Tapas Roy used the occasion to launch a political attack on the previous government, alleging that the former administration had failed to ensure adequate fish supply despite claiming to represent Bengali culture. He also accused the opposition of spreading misinformation among voters about BJP’s cultural intentions.

The celebrations were not limited to Kolkata. In north Contai, BJP workers organised a community fish feast where nearly 3,000 supporters reportedly took part. Similar scenes were witnessed in Daspur in West Midnapore, where thousands more gathered over plates of fish and rice.

As politics meets culinary tradition, BJP’s post-victory celebrations appear designed to send one unmistakable message — Bengal’s fish remains very much on the menu.