The West Bengal election cycle has taken a strange turn, with candidates from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress using fish as a central campaign prop.
Candidates like Koustav Bagchi and Rakesh Singh have been seen hoisting fish at rallies, using the staple food as a visual shorthand for cultural fidelity and local identity.
The spectacle is a direct response to accusations from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has claimed that the BJP threatens the traditional Bengali way of life by allegedly imposing vegetarian norms. Banerjee has repeatedly invoked the importance of fish and rice in her campaign, warning voters that the opposition would restrict their dietary choices.
The BJP has dismissed these claims as a desperate distraction from the ruling party's record of corruption. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flipped the narrative, criticizing the Trinamool Congress for failing to make the state self-reliant in fish production despite 15 years in power.
As the election approaches, the fish has become a symbol of the broader struggle over identity, governance, and cultural pride in the region, with the BJP even promising to host a celebratory fish feast following the election results.
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