Election off my plate: Meat, pulao and politics

"These days, when we go to big hotels to eat food, they first bring a few appetisers... so what Modi has done (till now) is an appetiser. The main course is yet to come," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Rajasthan's Churu, his latest "food" analogy to target the opposition.

It is no secret that food and politics go together, as this election season is reminding us in multiple ways.

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It is often said that the way to a person's heart is through his stomach. Thus, it is not surprising for politicians to use food metaphors as effective ways of connecting with voters.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's decades-old "Jab tak samosa mein rahega aalu, Bihar mein rahega Lalu" slogan still rings in our ears. PM Modi has often invoked his "chai wallah" (tea seller) roots to assert his humble background and hit out at dynastic parties. In fact, during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, his 'Chai pe Charcha' campaign was one of the main ways he connected with voters.

Ten years down the line, food politics continues to be the recipe for politicians to appeal to voters across states.

PM MODI'S LOVE FOR UPMA, RAHUL'S MYSORE PAK GIFT TO STALIN

Amid the BJP's massive Tamil Nadu outreach, PM Modi recently told a news channel that upma was his favourite Tamil food, and he also liked pongal as it was light on the stomach and easy to digest.

Days later, a video surfaced showing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi jumping over a road divider to buy Mysore Pak, a popular sweet made primarily from ghee and gram flour, for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Posting the video on his handle, Stalin took a subtle dig at the BJP, saying the INDIA bloc will deliver a "sweet victory" on June 4.

As the video went viral, a user commented, "Rahul Gandhi hit back Modi ji's divisive food politics with a video of buying Mysore Pak for MK Stalin."

Mysore Pak, which traces its origins to Mysore in Karnataka, has a lot of political significance than being just a popular sweet of the region. The sweet is believed to have been made by the royal chef of 19th century Mysore ruler Krishnaraja Wodeyar.

Wodeyar is known as a leader who worked towards promoting unity among various communities and was a strong advocate of secular culture. Besides inaugurating several mosques in Mysore, he also championed education for Muslims.

BJP PICKS A BONE WITH TEJASHWI YADAV'S FISH VIDEO

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However, the food that has dominated the political discourse in the run-up to the polls is fish. The BJP has picked up a bone with the RJD after former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav posted a video of him having roti and fish during campaigning.

The BJP was quick to attack the RJD leader for eating non-vegetarian during Navratri, a nine-day period when some Hindus only consume vegetarian food. Tejashwi clarified that the video was shot before Navaratri.

PM Modi used the issue to accuse the Opposition of possessing a "Mughal mindset". He also highlighted a video from last year of Rahul Gandhi cooking champaran mutton with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in September.

"Sawan ke mahine mein mutton banane ka mauj le rahe hain (In the month of Sawan or Navratri, they are cooking meat and having fun). They tease the people of the country by releasing such videos in the month of Sawan and consolidate their vote banks," PM Modi said at a rally in J&K's Udhampur.

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Several BJP leaders and ministers too jumped on the bandwagon to attack the Opposition. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said some leaders were posting visuals of non-vegetarian food during Navratri to appease a section of voters. Rahul Gandhi and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav cooking mutton (Source: X)

"You are eating fish during Navratri. What message do you want to send? You eat whatever you want; fish, pig, pigeon, elephant or horse. What is the need to show? This is only for votes, for appeasement politics. They think people of a particular religion will vote for them because of this," Rajnath Singh said in Bihar's Jamui.

Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari said the BJP was raking up the issue to paint its rivals as anti-Hindu since the Opposition is also adopting a soft Hindutva approach.

"PM Modi and Amit Shah are masters of deflection. It is a clear attempt by the BJP to deflect attention from issues like unemployment and price rise. The opposition gets trapped in countering the BJP and the main issues get forgotten," Tiwari told IndiaToday.in

MAMATA BANERJEE WADES IN WITH 'MAACHH-BHAT' CAMPAIGN

With fish politics taking the centre stage in the political arena, the Trinamool Congress in Bengal, where fish is an integral part of the diet of the people, has made it one of its poll planks.

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Warning the voters of BJP influencing dietary preferences if it returned to power, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said the BJP had a problem with anyone who eats fish.

"If anyone eats fish, even then the BJP has a problem. Who are you to decide what we will eat or wear?" the Trinamool supremo said at a rally in Jalpaiguri district.

Her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, too chimed in, saying PM Modi's remarks were anti-Bengali. "I eat fish in the morning and evening. PM Modi has said that those who consume fish are Mughals. If BJP wins, then they will come after your fish," the Diamond Harbour MP said.

In fact, the TMC is also planning a campaign titled "BJP hatao, maachh-bhat khao (drive out BJP to keep eating rice and fish)" to reinforce its charge of BJP being "anti-Bengali" and "anti-Bengal".

Such a campaign, however, is not new and has paid the party rich dividends in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Five years back, the TMC had played the Bengali culture card to attack the BJP after a statue of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during an election rally of Amit Shah. Mamata Banerjee had latched on to the incident to accuse the BJP of hurting Bengali pride and sentiments.

The result: The BJP lost all the nine seats that went to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal. Overall, however, the BJP gave the TMC a tough fight, winning 18 of the 42 seats in Bengal.

Political analyst Tiwari said Mamata Banerjee has latched on to the issue to invoke Bengali pride and identity at a time when she is on the backfoot over sexual harassment and land grab charges against her party leaders in Sandeshkhali.

"In Bengal, non-vegetarian meals are consumed on some religious occasions. On Durga Puja, Bengalis consume mutton or chicken on Navami and Dashami. The TMC knows the voter sentiments and Mamata Banerjee is using the same strategy of deflection amid issues like Sandeshkhali and corruption," he said.

BJP ON THE RECEIVING END TOO

However, it is not just the BJP that has cooked up a storm. BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi Kangana Ranaut has also faced flak after the Congress dug up an old tweet to suggest that the actor had previously expressed fondness for beef.

Calling her "the queen of controversy", Himachal Pradesh minister and Congress's Mandi candidate Vikramaditya Singh said Ranaut had previously admitted she ate beef.

"It's a matter of record. She spoke about it on several occasions during interviews to Bollywood personalities and on talk shows. She admitted that she ate beef, but today if she is dismissing it, then all I can say is may Lord Ram gives her some wisdom," he said.

However, Ranaut has dismissed the claims as "baseless", saying she had been "advocating and promoting a yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now".

"I don't eat beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me... such tactics to tarnish my image won’t work. My people know me, and they know that I am a proud Hindu, and nothing can ever mislead them, Jai Shri Ram," Ranaut tweeted.

From top politicians having meals with voters to the opening of subsidised canteens across states, food has always been intrinsic to politics and has spiced up the 2024 poll season.

Published By: Abhishek De Published On: Apr 18, 2024