Koustav Bagchi knocks on doors in Kolkata’s sticky morning heat. He wears crisp white and red traditional attire. He grips a fresh fish in one hand. Drums beat behind him as supporters chant his name.
This lawyer-turned-politician runs for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Barrackpore. He skips policy speeches. Instead, he uses the fish as a simple message: “I am one of you.”
A few kilometers away, BJP candidate Rakesh Singh repeats the act. He dresses sharply and leads party workers through port-area crowds. He hoists a fish high, challenging Kolkata’s mayor in a key race.
In Bengal, fish means more than a meal. It pulses through daily cuisine, rituals, and memories. It defines identity and belonging.
Now, candidates turn this love into political theater. They brandish fish to ease voter worries.
India ties food to politics. Many link Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP to strict vegetarianism. States under BJP rule ban meat sales at times. They crack down on cow slaughter too.
Yet India eats mostly non-vegetarian food. In West Bengal’s elections, fish jumps from plates to campaigns. It proves cultural loyalty and fights “outsider” claims.
Ruling Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee seeks a fourth term. She warns BJP threatens Bengal’s fish-and-rice lifestyle.
