On May 9, 2026, jhalmuri, a traditional Bengali street snack, took center stage at the swearing-in ceremony of West Bengal's first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. The BJP set up 20 stalls serving jhalmuri, attracting many attendees who celebrated the party's electoral victory. One attendee, Manjari Basu from Tollygunge, remarked that the snack tasted sweeter due to the BJP's success. The snack had previously gained attention during the Assembly elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an impromptu stop to enjoy jhalmuri in Jhargram, which led to a political spat with All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader Mamata Banerjee. She criticized Modi's visit as mere theatrics, while he suggested that the TMC was feeling the heat from the BJP's campaign. Modi had previously announced plans for victory celebrations, including distributing sweets and jhalmuri, while Banerjee humorously offered to send bhelpuri to the Prime Minister from Delhi.