Adding a distinctly Bengali flavour to the historic occasion, around 20 jhalmuri stalls and several sweet shops were set up at the swearing-in venue. Jhalmuri had recently grabbed national attention after Modi stopped at a roadside stall in Jhargram to sample the popular Bengali snack during his election campaign in West Bengal.
Beyond the food counters, the saffron camp appeared keen to send a broader political message that it sees itself as deeply rooted in Bengal’s cultural and social fabric despite years of attacks from rivals portraying it as an ‘outsider’ political force.
The BJP has also invited personalities such as Makhan Lal Sarkar, who is one of the most senior workers of the BJP in West Bengal, as part of its effort to blend political symbolism with Bengali cultural assertion.
In 1952, Makhanlal Sarkar was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Syama Prasad Mukherjee during the movement to hoist the Indian tricolour there. At the age of 98, Shri Makhanlal Sarkar remains one of the early grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India.
The choice of Brigade Parade Ground itself carries deep political significance. The venue has historically been associated with massive Left Front rallies and later became a battleground for anti-Left and anti-BJP mobilisations. Saturday’s event marks the first time the iconic ground is hosting the swearing-in of a BJP government in Bengal.
