BOLPUR: It is turning out to be the "sweetest" election for the people of Bolpur constituency in West Bengal's Birbhum district, otherwise infamous for political bickerings and violent clashes.
While the Trinamool Congress workers are daily pampering the voters by distributing a local sweet nakuldana -- made of flour and sugar -- the Bharatiya Janata Party activists are handing out mouth watering laddoos to the amused people.
It all started with Trinamool's irrepressible district president Anubrata Mondal declaring in his characteristic nonchalant style recently that Nakuldana was a cure-all.
"If people eat Nakuldana they would be cured of all illnesses. And all votes will go to the Trinamool," said Mondal cryptically. He then ordered the party workers to liberally distribute Nakuldana.
Now Mondal's words have the "force" of law for all sections of Trinamool workers in the district.
So, from that day itself they have religiously started distributing nakuldana to people on the streets, at the markets. And the more zealous ones even went door to door with crates of nakuldana.
The candidate Asit Kumar Mal too followed suit. A big grin on his face, Mal was seen handing out Nakuldana to people.
Finding the Trinamool getting all the media glare, the BJP came up with the idea of countering Nakuldana with the desi laddoo.
The BJP candidate Ramprasad Das went to a temple, offered flowers to the deity, and came out playing the drum with all his vigour. And then it was his turn to offer laddoos to the people.
A BJP procession moved around the constituency, with women workers in the vanguard carrying laddoos for consumption of the masses. They offered laddoos to motor cycle riders, richkshaw pullers, and anyone else they laid their hands on.