THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Kolkata, May 9: The humble jhalmuri, Bengal’s iconic street snack, became the flavour of celebration on Saturday as Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal at a grand ceremony held at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.
Soon after Adhikari was sworn in, senior BJP leader and former state president Dilip Ghosh took oath as a minister in the new cabinet. BJP MLAs Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Nisith Pramanik and Kshudiram Tudu were also inducted into the ministry.
The ceremony marked a historic political shift in Bengal, with the BJP ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule after winning 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections.
Massive BJP show of strength at Brigade Parade Ground
West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and several senior BJP leaders.
The BJP chose Brigade Parade Ground — historically associated with massive Left rallies and later major TMC gatherings — to showcase its political rise in Bengal.
Thousands of BJP supporters filled the venue, waving saffron flags and chanting “Jai Shri Ram” slogans as Adhikari, widely seen as one of the architects of the BJP’s Bengal expansion, formally assumed office amid tight security.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by senior BJP MPs, industrialists and film personalities, including actor Mithun Chakraborty. BJP leaders described the event as the beginning of a “Sonar Bangla” under a “double-engine government”.
Adhikari, who defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency while also retaining Nandigram, was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Jhalmuri becomes BJP’s ‘taste of victory’
The biggest attraction outside the political spectacle, however, was jhalmuri — the spicy puffed rice snack that became a talking point during the high-voltage Bengal election campaign.
The state BJP set up nearly 20 jhalmuri stalls across the sprawling venue, while independent vendors also saw brisk sales around Brigade Parade Ground.
Supporters queued up for paper cones filled with puffed rice, green chillies, mustard oil and spices as celebrations continued through the day.
“I am enjoying jhalmuri even more today because of our huge election victory,” said Manjari Basu, who travelled from Tollygunge to attend the ceremony.
Another supporter, Manish Yadav from Barrackpore, said the snack “tasted sweet instead of spicy” after the BJP’s historic win in Bengal.
How jhalmuri became part of Bengal election politics
Jhalmuri entered the centre of Bengal’s political discourse after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled stop at a roadside stall in Jhargram on April 19 during his election campaign.
The moment quickly went viral and sparked a political exchange between the BJP and the TMC.
While Mamata Banerjee dismissed Modi’s jhalmuri stop as “all drama”, the Prime Minister later remarked that the opposition was “feeling the heat of the chillies” after his snack break gained attention.
During the campaign, Modi had also said BJP workers would distribute sweets and jhalmuri after the party’s victory. Banerjee responded by saying she would send him “bhelpuri from Delhi”.