Overview
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma challenged Mamata Banerjee to a fish‑eating contest, vowing to eat 1 kilogram more to argue the BJP does not police non‑vegetarian diets.
- BJP figures, including MP Anurag Thakur, ate fish on camera and candidates carried fish while canvassing to rebut warnings that a BJP government would curb fish, meat, and eggs.
- Mamata Banerjee has told voters that the BJP would ban common non‑vegetarian foods, casting the party as out of step with Bengali culture where fish is a daily staple and part of rituals.
- Analysts say the fish focus has shifted debate from jobs and governance to identity, with the BJP recasting itself as a defender of food choice in regions where that stance helps electorally.
- Voting is taking place in two stages with results to follow soon, so these cultural cues could influence turnout and choices in a state the BJP has never governed.