BJP workers celebrate after party wins Maharashtra elections at BJP HQ in New Delhi on Saturday.  Express photo | Shekhar Yadav
The Sunday Standard

‘Jalebi’ replaces ‘ladoo’ as BJP headquarters decked up after Maharashtra mandate

Videos circulating on social media show party workers preparing ‘jalebis’ at the headquarters in anticipation of Maharashtra win.

Mukesh Ranjan

NEW DELHI: Even as the BJP-led alliance failed to wrest power from ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc in Jharkhand, the decisive victory in Maharashtra provided the reason for the saffron party to celebrate this in a big way, but not with traditional ‘ladoos,’ instead with ‘jalebis’.

As the counting began in the morning and the trends started emerging, leaders at the BJP headquarters started preparing for mega celebrations with ‘jalebis’.

Traditionally, people celebrate by offering ‘ladoos’, but ‘jalebis’ took the centre stage. Videos circulating on social media show party workers preparing ‘jalebis’ at the headquarters in anticipation of Maharashtra win.

‘Jalebi’ fondness

During the Haryana assembly elections, Jalebi took a political turn last month when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a statement about the Gohana jalebis during a campaign speech.

Calling them delicious, he said he suggested to his sister Priyanka that the shop opened factories worldwide. The BJP pounced on the statement by reminding the Congress leader that jalebis were not made in factories. After Haryana polls, the BJP sent jalebis to Gandhi’s residence.

Fadnavis stirs sugar syrup

On Saturday, visuals on social media showed a triumphant Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis cooking ‘jalebis’ at BJP office in Mumbai after the MahaYuti won the elections. He was surrounded by party workers. He chose to remain quiet when asked about the Haryana CM’s promise of a mega jalebi celebration. Exuberant BJP workers had no time for the question as they watched Fadnavis stirring the sugar syrup for the jalebis dunked into it and waiting for their turn to grab a couple of them.

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