Modi's jhalmuri moment pays off: BJP leads in all 4 seats in Jhargram in setback for Mamata
West Bengal Results 2026: BJP is leading in Jhargram's all four assembly seats - Jhargram, Nayagram, Gopiballavpur, and Binpur
- May 4, 2026,
- Updated May 4, 2026 1:47 PM IST
West Bengal Election Results 2026 | It began as a brief, unscripted pause over a cone of jhalmuri. Weeks later, that moment appears to have translated into a clean sweep.
Catch our LIVE Coverage: Election Result 2026 LIVE Updates: Violence breaks out in Bengal after voters choose Dada over Didi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's viral snack stop in Jhargram during the campaign is now being seen as emblematic of the BJP's surge in the district, where the party is leading in all four assembly seats - Jhargram, Nayagram, Gopiballavpur and Binpur - in a major setback for Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had won all four in 2021.
Must Read: West Bengal turns saffron: Modi-Shah's BJP breaches Mamata's Kolkata fortress
In Jhargram, BJP's Lakshmi Kanta Sau is ahead of TMC's Mongal Saren. In Nayagram, Amiya Kisku is leading over TMC's Dulal Murmu. BJP's Rajesh Mahata is ahead of TMC's Ajit Mahata in Gopiballavpur, while in Binpur, BJP's Dr Pranat Tudu is leading against TMC's Birbaha Hansda.
During the campaign, Modi made an unscheduled stop at a roadside shop to savour jhalmuri - a popular Bengali snack made of puffed rice, green chillies and spices.
Don't Miss: West Bengal Election Results 2026: Full list of winners from BJP, TMC, Left, Congress
The visuals quickly went viral, with the video clocking nearly 100 million views on Instagram within 24 hours and about 90 million on Facebook.
Google searches for "jhalmuri" also spiked to their highest level in over two decades.
The electoral outcome in Jhargram now suggests that the optics may have resonated on the ground.
The BJP is on course to script a historic victory in West Bengal, leading in over 190 of the state's 294 seats. The TMC, which had secured 213 seats in 2021, is trailing below the 100-mark. If trends hold, this would mark the BJP's first government in Bengal.
While North Bengal was earlier seen as the BJP's stronghold and South Bengal as Mamata Banerjee's bastion, the latest trends indicate the saffron party has breached key TMC citadels across regions.
In TMC strongholds accounting for 119 seats, the BJP is ahead in 61, while the TMC leads in 51. In Malda’s 49 seats, the BJP is leading in 28 and the TMC in 19. The BJP is also set to sweep Medinipur, leading in 47 of 56 seats, with the TMC ahead in just 8.
In the Presidency region, which has 108 seats, the BJP is leading in around 52 - a sharp rise from just 18 in 2021.
West Bengal Election Results 2026 | It began as a brief, unscripted pause over a cone of jhalmuri. Weeks later, that moment appears to have translated into a clean sweep.
Catch our LIVE Coverage: Election Result 2026 LIVE Updates: Violence breaks out in Bengal after voters choose Dada over Didi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's viral snack stop in Jhargram during the campaign is now being seen as emblematic of the BJP's surge in the district, where the party is leading in all four assembly seats - Jhargram, Nayagram, Gopiballavpur and Binpur - in a major setback for Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had won all four in 2021.
Must Read: West Bengal turns saffron: Modi-Shah's BJP breaches Mamata's Kolkata fortress
In Jhargram, BJP's Lakshmi Kanta Sau is ahead of TMC's Mongal Saren. In Nayagram, Amiya Kisku is leading over TMC's Dulal Murmu. BJP's Rajesh Mahata is ahead of TMC's Ajit Mahata in Gopiballavpur, while in Binpur, BJP's Dr Pranat Tudu is leading against TMC's Birbaha Hansda.
During the campaign, Modi made an unscheduled stop at a roadside shop to savour jhalmuri - a popular Bengali snack made of puffed rice, green chillies and spices.
Don't Miss: West Bengal Election Results 2026: Full list of winners from BJP, TMC, Left, Congress
The visuals quickly went viral, with the video clocking nearly 100 million views on Instagram within 24 hours and about 90 million on Facebook.
Google searches for "jhalmuri" also spiked to their highest level in over two decades.
The electoral outcome in Jhargram now suggests that the optics may have resonated on the ground.
The BJP is on course to script a historic victory in West Bengal, leading in over 190 of the state's 294 seats. The TMC, which had secured 213 seats in 2021, is trailing below the 100-mark. If trends hold, this would mark the BJP's first government in Bengal.
While North Bengal was earlier seen as the BJP's stronghold and South Bengal as Mamata Banerjee's bastion, the latest trends indicate the saffron party has breached key TMC citadels across regions.
In TMC strongholds accounting for 119 seats, the BJP is ahead in 61, while the TMC leads in 51. In Malda’s 49 seats, the BJP is leading in 28 and the TMC in 19. The BJP is also set to sweep Medinipur, leading in 47 of 56 seats, with the TMC ahead in just 8.
In the Presidency region, which has 108 seats, the BJP is leading in around 52 - a sharp rise from just 18 in 2021.