Amid the noise of campaign rallies and political slogans, confectioners in Kolkata are adding their own flavour to the season. Credit: Satish Moira Sweets
Sweets are woven into the fabric of Bengali life and are present at every celebration, ritual, and everyday meal. Even as health concerns reshape diets, the tradition endures: a meal often feels incomplete without something sweet.
So it’s no surprise that even elections—the biggest festival of democracy—have found their way into Bengal’s sweet shops. Amid the noise of campaign rallies and political slogans, confectioners in Kolkata are adding their own flavour to the season.
At sweet shops in South Kolkata, rows of delicately crafted sandesh shaped like party symbols line the display, turning politics into something both visual and edible.
Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick, a popular sweet shop chain in Kolkata, is crafting special sandesh inspired by the election symbols of major political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Congress, and the Left.
“We do this to celebrate democracy. We have special sweets for each and every occasion, so we also celebrate polls. Bengal is all about sweets and is an integral part of our culture. More than selling it is the joy of people seeing it and getting excited,” owner Sudipta Mullick told The Indian Express.
Mullick said they prepare around 10 sandesh for each party, priced at about Rs 250 each, and that they are also gearing up for the counting day. “On counting day, we make close to 20,000 rosogollas because everyone will be celebrating and gifting the sweets to each other,” he added.
Satish Moira sweets in Garden Reach is another shop making party symbol sandesh.
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“We make sandesh for all party symbols, be it the BJP, Left, Congress, or the ruling party. We also make ‘Khela Hobe’ sandesh,” Arup Kumar Das told The Indian Express as he referred to the popular political slogan used by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.
“We make about 150 sandesh each with TMC and BJP symbols, and around 100 each for the Left and Congress. But the bestseller is the ‘Khela Hobe’ sandesh,” Das said.
Priced at Rs 20 each, they craft around 100-150 pieces a day.
Das said that apart from this, they are also prepared for the counting day, when they will make thousands of rosogollas. “We make the white rosogolla first, and whichever party wins, we dip it in that party’s colour. Those sell out quickly,” he said.
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The first phase of elections took place on April 23, and the second phase will be held on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
