PM Modi's Jhalmuri Stop During Bengal Campaign Sparks 'Drama' Allegation by CM Mamata Banerjee
Banerjee questions unscheduled pit stop during poll campaigning, claims incident was scripted; first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for Thursday
En resumen
- West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called PM Narendra Modi's unscheduled stop to buy 'jhalmuri' during poll campaigning in Jhargram "drama", questioning how cameras were present for the sudden stop.
- The first phase of polling covering 152 seats will be held on Thursday, with the second phase for 142 constituencies on April 29 and vote counting on May 4.
Resumen generado por IA
In this image posted on April 19, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries 'jhalmuri', street snack made of puffed rice, on the sidelines of public meetings ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, in Jhargram. NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unscheduled stop to buy "jhalmuri" during poll campaigning was "drama". Her comment came a day after PM Modi made a pit stop during his campaign tour in Jhargram to buy "jhalmuri," a popular Bengali street food made of puffed rice, green chillies, and other spices.
"It's all drama. How come a camera was present when the prime minister suddenly made an unscheduled stop during the campaign? The entire episode was scripted. He was seen carrying a Rs 10 note in his pocket. Is it believable?" Banerjee said, without naming PM Modi.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo was addressing a poll rally in the Murarai assembly constituency in Birbhum district.
On Sunday, after concluding his address in Jhargram, PM Modi walked up to a stall and said, "Bhai, hume apna jhalmuri khilao (brother, give us your jhalmuri)." As the vendor prepared the snack, PM Modi struck up a brief conversation, asking, "Kitne ka hota hai jhalmuri (how much does it cost?)." The prime minister then reached into the pocket of his Nehru jacket to pay.
The vendor asked, "Aap pyaaz khaate hain (do you eat onions?)," to which the PM replied, "Haan, pyaaz khaate hain. Dimag nahi khaate bas (Yes, I eat onions. But I don't like irritating people)."
The first phase of polling in West Bengal, covering 152 seats, will be held on Thursday. The second and final phase for the remaining 142 constituencies is scheduled for April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
