How Food and Politics Combined During West Bengal's Election
Introduction
The recent assembly elections in West Bengal ended with a victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At the same time, a popular local snack called jhal moori gained significant national attention.
Main Body
The rise of jhal moori's popularity is linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who bought the snack during his campaign. This was a strategic move to show that the BJP is not an 'outside' party, but is instead connected to Bengali culture. This approach seemed to work, as the BJP won the election. Furthermore, businessman Harsh Goenka helped spread this image by posting about the snack on social media during the political transition. Historically, Kolkata's street food is a mix of different cultures. Food historian Pritha Sen explains that street food became popular after Kolkata became a British administrative center. While jhal moori is seen as a typical Bengali snack, it actually comes from North Indian traditions in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It became popular in the 1940s when migrants adapted their recipes using local ingredients. Other famous snacks, like puchka and kathi kababs, followed a similar path from the Hindi-speaking regions. However, it is unclear if jhal moori will become popular across all of India. Although it is similar to the Gujarati bhelpuri, people in Southern and Northern India have different tastes. Additionally, jhal moori has always been a street food and is rarely found in formal restaurants. It is also important to note that the election was quite unstable, with reports of voting machine problems and violence, which forced the Election Commission to hold new votes in some areas.
Conclusion
In summary, the BJP successfully took power in West Bengal by using cultural symbols to connect with the local people.
Learning
🚀 Moving Beyond 'And' & 'But'
At the A2 level, you likely connect ideas using simple words like and, but, and because. To reach B2, you need Logical Connectors. These are words that signal to the reader exactly how two ideas relate.
Look at how the text evolves from simple ideas to B2-level transitions:
1. The 'Adding More' Upgrade
Instead of saying "and" five times, the text uses:
- Furthermore: Used to add a new, important piece of information.
- Example: "The BJP won... Furthermore, Harsh Goenka helped spread this image."
2. The 'Contrast' Shift
Instead of just using "but", the text employs:
- However: This is the gold standard for B2. It stops the flow to introduce a conflicting idea.
- Example: "However, it is unclear if jhal moori will become popular..."
- Although: Used to acknowledge a fact before making a main point.
- Example: "Although it is similar to bhelpuri, people... have different tastes."
3. The 'Result' Bridge
Instead of "so", the text focuses on cause-and-effect through phrasing:
- Linked to: Connects a result to a specific cause.
- Example: "The rise of popularity is linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
💡 Pro Tip for your Transition: Stop starting sentences with "And" or "But" in your writing. Swap them for "Furthermore" or "However". This single change immediately makes your English sound more professional and academic.