The BJP celebrated its Haryana assembly election win by sending a box of jalebis to Rahul Gandhi's residence, mocking his campaign speech that praised a famous local jalebi shop in Gohana.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have won 48 seats in the Haryana assembly polls, but it was the sweetness of jalebis that actually spiced up the election result on Tuesday. As the counting of votes for assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir began, the Congress party workers distributed sweets and celebrated with dhol beats. However, the BJP gained more seats as the day advanced, and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini confirmed his party would form a government in the state yet again.
But, much before, during the campaigning for the Haryana elections, Rahul Gandhi, in one of his speeches, had mentioned late Matu Ram, who owned a popular jalebi shop in Gohana.
THE JALEBI FACTOR: HOW IT STARTED
Earlier this month, while addressing an election rally in Gohana, Rahul Gandhi showed a box of jalebis by Matu Ram ‘halwai‘ and said he tasted the famous jumbo-sized jalebis in his car and sent a message to his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying, “Today I have eaten the best jalebi of my life. Then I told (Congress leaders) Deepender and Bajrang Punia ji that this jalebi should go to the whole world,” he told the rally.
However, Rahul Gandhi’s idea became fodder for trollers who said that jalebis are meant to be consumed fresh, and not to be sold in far-off areas.
Rahul had also emphasised that the jalebi from the particular shop should be sold across the country and that the jalebis should also be exported which will generate more employment opportunities. Speaking on, Rahul alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had trapped Matu Ram Ji in a chakravyuh, by bringing in demonetisation, the GST, and by distributing funds to industrialists.
This has turned around things in Haryana! I hope it stayed that way. pic.twitter.com/tH4TDKMwPe— BALA (@erbmjha) October 8, 2024
BUT IS IT RAHUL WHO MADE IT POPULAR OR IS IT SAINI’s DIG
Later, taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, the BJP’s Haryana unit said that since the Congress leader failed to garner the nation’s attention, he was amused at the size of jalebis being made in Haryana.
However, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda was quick to respond, saying, his party “would parcel a pack of the same jalebis to Saini when the Congress forms a government in the state on October 8, the vote counting day.”
नायब जी, आप चिंता न करें @RahulGandhi जी के नेतृत्व में हरियाणा में कांग्रेस की सरकार बना कर उसी गोहाना के जलेब का डिब्बा आपके पास भी हम याद से 8 की शाम को हम ज़रूर भेजेंगे। https://t.co/zzzd4xYDhq— Deepender S Hooda (@DeependerSHooda) October 6, 2024
HARYANA ELECTION RESULTS AND JALEBI PARCEL
The Congress’s promise was fulfilled by the BJP, which actually delivered a pack of jalebis to the grand old party.
As the counting of votes came to an end, the BJP sent a box of jalebi to Rahul Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi. The party, on its X handle, shared a screenshot of a food aggregator, confirming that 1 kg jalebi had been sent to the Congress leader’s home.
“On behalf of all the workers of the Bhartiya Janta Party Haryana, jalebi has been sent to Rahul Gandhi’s home,” the party’s post was captioned.
भारतीय जनता पार्टी हरियाणा के समस्त कार्यकर्ताओं की तरफ से राहुल गांधी जी के लिए उनके घर पर जलेबी भिजवा दी है pic.twitter.com/Xi8SaM7yBj— Haryana BJP (@BJP4Haryana) October 8, 2024
Later, BJP workers and chief ministers in other states celebrated by relishing on jalebis and serving the same to one another.
#WATCH | Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, BJP State President VD Sharma and party workers celebrate BJP’s win in Haryana elections, at the BJP office pic.twitter.com/akMkfW6jt8— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2024
And not just feasting, some BJP workers in other states also took to preparing jalebis. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma was seen preparing jalebis as a mark of celebration after the BJP’s win in Haryana.
#WATCH | Jaipur: Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma prepares jalebi as BJP is set to form its government in Haryana for the third consecutive time. pic.twitter.com/kryHG5iJ7g— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2024
JALEBI ALSO PARCELLED IN ASSAM
Jalebi was indeed sent to the Congress by the BJP in other states as well.
In a video shared on X by Assam BJP worker Ron Bikash Gaurav, one of the party’s workers was seen entering the Congress office in the Lakhimpur district of the state, holding a packet of apparent jalebis as the counting of votes in Haryana confirmed the BJP’s victory.
Assam BJP karyakarta delivered Jelabi at Congress Office in Lakhimpur after the #HaryanaElectionResultSwag level lead by MLA @manabdekapic.twitter.com/Q5JyXX6oqM
— Ron Bikash Gaurav (@RonBikashGaurav) October 8, 2024
AND IT CONTINUED…
As netizens had a field day, leaders of the BJP too had a field day on social media after their sweet win.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar shared a picture of him holding a piece of jalebi and captioned it ‘hashtagjalebi’.
#Jalebi#JalebiPartypic.twitter.com/Tcs0OTettv— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@RajeevRC_X) October 8, 2024
BJP’s spokesperson Raju Bista also posted a photo of him tasting jalebis.
अद्भुत जलेबी #Jalebipic.twitter.com/9loALuiiP4— Raju Bista (@RajuBistaBJP) October 8, 2024
JALEBIS AND MEME FEST
While the Congress leaders must have feasted on jalebis that were delivered at Rahul Gandhi’s home, others enjoyed memes on social media.
One X user shared a picture of jalebis and wrote, “Even the colour of the jalebis is saffron” (the colour associated with the BJP).
Jalebi bhi bhagwa nikli pic.twitter.com/MKLqFBbdpn— Pankaj Gulati (@panky101) October 8, 2024
Another user shared a photo showing jalebis being taken out on a hot vessel with a palm-shaped holder (referring to the Congress’s party symbol).
Yummy Jalebi… #AssemblyElectionResults#Haryana#Jammukashmir#ElectionResults2024#BJP#Congress#RahulGandhi#NarendraModipic.twitter.com/zef9Z9GwS1— Jegan (@jegantoons) October 9, 2024
The BJP’s Telangana handle also shared Rahul Gandhi’s earlier pictures showing him eating jalebis.
Aur Jalebi Bhai… Aa gaya Swaad? pic.twitter.com/HfnnrvMe8V— BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) October 8, 2024
WHEN CONGRESS RETURNED THE DHOL WALAS
On Tuesday, a video, widely shared on social media, showed two dhol walas leaving the premises of the Congress headquarters in Haryana.
On being questioned, one of them said the party leaders had asked them to return since they were not winning seats in the assembly polls. He also said the party workers had paid them the complete amount.
Congress walo ne dhol wale bulwa liye the. Fir EVM hack ho gaya. Isliye dhol walo ko bola jao. I hope paise to diye ho.pic.twitter.com/r6xwj4Ky4G
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) October 8, 2024
(News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the video).
