West Bengal polls: TMC reels in voters with ‘Mache Bhate Bangali’, leaves BJP high & dry | India News
New Delhi: As West Bengal gears up for the 2026 assembly elections, ‘Machhe Bhate Bengali’, a common catchphrase that dominates every Bengali home has now moved into the political arena.Along with this, it has become a symbol of identity, culture and pride, shaping the narrative of high-stakes combat.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amplified this sentiment at a public meeting in Purulia, noting BJP. “They won’t let you eat fish. You can’t eat meat, you can’t have eggs, you can’t speak Bengali. If you do, they will call you Bangladeshi,” he said.
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Fish, considered the lifeline of West Bengal, is now central to this narrative. A staple of almost every Bengali plate, it has transcended cuisine to become a symbol of cultural belonging.The phrase ‘Machhe Bhate Bengali’ that defines a Bengali by fish-rice has jumped from the kitchen to the political arena, reflecting how everyday traditions are now shaping the state’s election campaigns.
Fish on the campaign menu
In West Bengal’s electoral waters, fish have swum from the dinner plate to the center of the political net.Trinamool Congress (TMC) is using it to inflame Bengali pride, while the BJP is scrambling not to fall on the wrong side of the ‘Mache Bhate Bengali’ sentiment.From the giant catfish held aloft in roadshows to hilsa, pabda and prawns taking pride of place in discourse, fish has emerged as a powerful metaphor. It now symbolizes the question of identity, culture and who truly represents a “real” Bengali.The TMC has weaponized this sentiment, arguing that the BJP, associated with the politics of a Hindi-speaking, vegetarian-first India, is culturally foreign to Bengal.
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Mamata Banerjee sharpened this point at a rally: “If BJP comes to power, they will ban meat and fish in Bengal. I have seen the Deputy CM of Bihar that fish and meat cannot be sold in open markets. Only those who have license can sell meat indoors. So, will everyone sell meat and fish in shopping malls? Only a few have the economic strength to sell fish on the streets. That is how they earn their bread. I condemn this politics.”Building the campaign around Bengali identity, the TMC focused on cultural nationalism. Thus, fish is no longer a dish served in every home; It is a badge of Bengali pride.
Culinary nationalism and social media
TMC’s social media amplified this narrative, posting pictures of hilsa vapa, pabda jhal, chingri malai curry, kosha mangsho and other delicacies.Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s 15-day visit to Bengal, the party tweeted: “Bangla welcomes tourists. Don’t miss our delicacies. We highly recommend: Muri Ghonto, Pabda Fish Jhal, Hilsa Vapa, Chingri Malai Curry, Vetki Paturi, Kosha Mangsho. Stay well!”Political analyst Maidul Islam said, “Eating fish is an important element in that Bengali project. When fish markets elsewhere are attacked, or Hindi-speaking leaders turn up their noses at the sight of fish, it becomes a propaganda point. The TMC says that it is the organic group of Bengalis and therefore organically linked to Bengali food habits.”
Fish as Culture, Ritual and Identity
Fish is more than food in West Bengal. It marks life’s events: from a child’s first meal, to gifts at a wedding, to meals after bereavement.World Bank data shows that West Bengal consumes 8.36 lakh tonnes of fish annually, almost double the national average, and fish and meat together account for about a fifth of household food expenditure, according to PTI.For many, attempts to impose a vegetarian or homogenous diet from outside the state suffer from the fear of cultural invasion.An Indologist in Calcutta says, “For Bengalis, fish is not just food, it is memory, ritual and identity. To challenge this is to consider West Bengal as foreign.”Kaushik Maiti of Bengali nationalist organization Bangla Pokkho added: “Fish is very much a part of the Bengali identity. But the BJP wants to impose a vegetarian food culture in North India, which we oppose.”
BJP fishing
BJP insists TMC is creating fear. The leaders pointed out that there is no proposal to ban fish or meat in West Bengal. Still, the perception is strong enough that BJP candidates are now campaigning with fish in hand.Bidhannagar BJP candidate Sharadwat Mukherjee took five kg of Katla fish from neighborhood to neighbourhood, assuring voters that the BJP would never interfere with the food habits of Bengalis.In Pandaveshwar, BJP candidate Jitendra Nath Tiwari filed nomination papers with a “fish procession”, a large procession he took out while supporters carried baskets. He said, “If there is a play to highlight the culture of West Bengal, then I am proud of this play.”Political analyst Suman Bhattacharya observes, “The BJP’s sentiment against fish and non-vegetarian food has become so strong that party leaders now have to openly eat fish and campaign about it. This itself shows how their vegetarian politics has not worked elsewhere in West Bengal.”State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya further emphasized this point: “There is no question of banning fish. Bengalis will eat fish and Biharis will eat mutton. If anyone interrupts, I will resist.”TMC’s narrative gained traction because of events in BJP-ruled states. Earlier, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister’s speech Vijay Kumar Sinha Earlier controversies about restricting meat to schools and places of worship, and meat shops and fish markets, reinforced fears that a North Indian vegetarian-first cultural model could be imposed on Bengal.In January, a vendor was assaulted in Kolkata for selling chicken patties to a religious gathering. The incident deepened the controversy.
Elections are a cultural battle
As the election heats up, the West Bengal assembly election is not just a contest of seats, governance or development, but also about identity, culture and food.The humble fish, a culinary staple, has emerged as a political symbol, showing that plate and politics are inextricably linked in Bengal.As TMC spokesperson Tanmoy Ghosh put it: “Meat- and fish-eaters can be Nobel laureates, scholars, entrepreneurs and rebels who change history with a pen, not violence… It’s moral pressure to associate dietary habits with ‘violent tendencies’. India’s strength lies in pluralism, in diversity — not in constitutionalism, not in freedom.”Elections for West Bengal’s 294 constituencies will be held in two phases: April 23 (152 constituencies) and April 29 (142), with results to be declared on May 4.
