New Delhi, 04 May (H.S.): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta celebrated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) apparent victory in the Assembly elections – including the decisive lead in West Bengal – by hosting a festive gathering at the Delhi Secretariat with jhal‑muri and rasgulla. She was joined by several of her cabinet colleagues, who savoured the Bengali street‑food and sweets while basking in the party’s projected success across four states and one Union Territory.

Cabinet ministers join the victory‑themed “street food” session

At the Secretariat, the Chief Minister personally served jhal‑muri and rasgulla to her ministers, symbolically marking the link between Delhi’s celebration and Bengal’s anticipated political shift. Among those present were Education Minister Ashish Sood, PWL Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra and Social Welfare Minister Ravindra Indrajeet Singh. The informal, food‑centric mood reflected the party’s confidence, even as the official results in Bengal and other states were still being finalised.

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Education Minister Ashish Sood posted on X, describing the afternoon as a blend of Bengal’s jhal‑muri, the sweetness of rasgulla and the taste of victory for the BJP. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership with enabling this “historic win,” calling it the result of the Prime Minister’s far‑sighted guidance and unwavering commitment to public service. Sood added that the victory was also a triumph of the people’s faith, their resolve for development and their collective belief in the NDA‑led project.

PWL Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh used the same platform to argue that the West Bengal results had exposed the reality of the India‑centred opposition alliance, which he described as a loose and ineffective grouping. He claimed that the people of Bengal had decisively rejected politics of violence, chaos and appeasement and, in their verdict, had placed their trust in development, stability and Prime Minister Modi’s strong leadership.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa portrayed the voters of Bengal as brave and thoughtful, suggesting that they deliberate carefully before choosing a government. He asserted that the people of Bengal now see the BJP as the only credible alternative capable of delivering genuine change, development and stability, and that they have placed their confidence in a BJP‑led government to rectify the state’s ailing governance.

Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra struck a more ideologically charged note, declaring that the result was a defeat for those who oppose Sanatan traditions. He claimed that the mandate clearly conveyed that no party can remain in power if it disrespects Hindus, and framed the outcome as a reaffirmation of faith in a BJP‑led vision of inclusive yet Hindu‑centric national development.

Food, symbolism and Delhi’s political identity

The use of jhal‑muri, a Kolkata street‑food favourite, and rasgulla, a quintessential Bengali sweet, inside the Delhi Secretariat is being interpreted as a potent symbol of political ownership: the BJP, long seen as a “North Indian” party, now appears to be claiming Bengal as part of its expanding political geography. For Delhi’s ruling establishment, the mini‑feast was not just a celebration of electoral success, but a carefully staged statement that the party’s footprint now stretches from the capital to the core of India’s eastern region.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar