Bengal’s theatre of outreach: Candidates roll rotis, shave beards, chant kirtans ahead of polls

In West Bengal, the election campaign is no longer confined to speeches or slogans. Across the state, candidates are stepping into kitchens, barber shops, and devotional gatherings , turning everyday gestures into powerful acts of outreach.

In Hooghly’s Pursurah, Trinamool Congress (TMC) nominee Partha Hazari rolled up his sleeves, literally. Inside a voter’s kitchen, Hazari prepared rotis on a traditional clay stove after learning the household had run out of cooking gas. Party workers outside chanted slogans, but it was Hazari’s hands-on act that drew attention, quickly circulating on social media . “I have made rotis before, so I know a bit of the craft. Many families are struggling without gas cylinders. I only tried to lend a helping hand,” he said with a smile.

Meanwhile, in Birbhum, BJP MLA Anup Saha chose a more unusual platform: a roadside barber stall . Stopping mid-campaign, he picked up a razor and shaved a man’s beard, a gesture reinforcing his message of remaining ‘one among the people’ . Saha, who claimed Dubrajpur from the TMC in 2021, seemed determined to remind voters that despite his MLA status, he remains grounded.

In Jhargram, BJP candidate Rajesh Mahato turned to faith. Launching his campaign with a Hari naam sankirtan , he joined villagers in devotional chants and playful gulal celebrations before moving on to door-to-door canvassing. Even the Left is adapting: CPI(M) candidate Kaltan Dasgupta began his campaign with prayers at a temple dedicated to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , signaling a departure from the Left Front’s historically austere, secular image.

Veteran observers recall past contradictions, senior leaders once stirred debate by blending politics with faith , but today, such acts are a deliberate strategy. A Kolkata-based analyst noted, “Elections are fought as much through symbolism as through speeches. Candidates want to be seen in everyday spaces because it builds intimacy with voters.”

With polling set in two phases on April 23 and April 29 , and counting on May 4 , Bengal’s electoral theatre is poised for even more inventive gestures. Here, winning hearts may depend as much on who rolls the best roti, wields the sharpest razor, or chants the loudest hymn , as on political promises.