'Who Made Jalebi So Popular': How It All Started In Haryana, How It Is Going | Explained In 5 Social Media Posts

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.

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.”

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.

Later, another BJP spokesperson, Suresh Nakhua, said he sent jalebis to Congress’s Pawan Khera.

BJP workers and chief ministers in other states also celebrated by relishing on jalebis and serving the same to one another.

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.

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.

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 ‘hashtag jalebi’. 

BJP’s spokesperson Raju Bista also posted a photo of him tasting jalebis.

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).

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).

The BJP’s Telangana handle also shared Rahul Gandhi’s earlier pictures showing him eating jalebis. 

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.

(News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the video).