The Bharatiya Janata Party has started projecting fish in its West Bengal election campaigns to appeal to Bengali voters, countering Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee's claims that the BJP opposes Bengal's culture. Banerjee has accused the party of planning to ban fish and meat sales.
In the race for Bengali voters' support ahead of West Bengal assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party has incorporated fish into its campaigns, rebutting accusations from Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee that the BJP is a 'party of outsiders' opposed to Bengal's culture. Banerjee alleged at recent rallies that the BJP would ban fish and meat sales if it gains power and urged supporters to greet BJP candidates with fish, meat, and egg dishes. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya and candidates Swapan Dasgupta from Rashbehari, Rudranil Ghosh from Shibpur, and oncologist Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay from Bidhannagar have appeared on television eating fish during lunch or campaigned with a large fish. Mukhopadhyay told Bidhannagar residents, 'TMC is spreading all sorts of misinformation. We can have whatever we want; fish, mutton and chicken.' Bhattacharya asked, 'Can a Bengali survive without fish and mutton? Is that even possible?' Notably, only vegetarian food was served at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Kolkata rally on March 14 due to logistical constraints, a senior BJP leader explained anonymously. This follows an incident on December 12 where BJP workers allegedly assaulted chicken patty sellers at a Bhagavad Gita event in Kolkata, leading to arrests. TMC's Kunal Ghosh, a Kolkata candidate, retorted that BJP leaders who mispronounce names like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay remain outsiders.
