In Bengal elections, 'Jai Shri Ram' faded on stage but not on streets
As the BJP shifted from "Jai Shri Ram" to "Joy Ma Kali" in Bengal, the older chant continued to surface among the masses at public events. The contrast highlighted how political messaging evolved, while the slogan itself retained a life of its own.
by Sayan Ganguly · India TodayIn Short
- The chant became a taunt aimed at Mamata Banerjee across Bengal
- BJP later pivoted to Joy Ma Kali after electoral setbacks
- PM's use of the Kali invocation was seen as locally resonant
“Jai Shri Ram,” a polite greeting in parts of North India, has evolved into a political battle cry in Bengal over several elections. In 2019, the chant -- long associated by Bengal’s bhadralok with “regressive” politics -- surged into prominence as BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, used it to energise cadres and rallies during their Lok Sabha poll campaign.
It was projected as a cry against what the BJP called Mamata Banerjee’s “appeasement” politics and as a way to consolidate the saffron party’s cadre in the state.
So much so that, during a rally in 2019, Mamata Banerjee stopped her cavalcade to confront a few passersby who were heard chanting “Jai Shri Ram.”
Shortly after, the BJP rode the wave of the slogan to win 18 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, emerging as a close second to the TMC.
The chant was no longer just a slogan; it had turned into a war cry -- and often a taunt directed at the Chief Minister wherever she travelled in the state.
But that seems to have changed in 2026.
After finishing a distant second to the TMC in the 2021 Assembly polls and then seeing its Lok Sabha tally dip in the 2024 polls, the BJP looked for a different chant -- one with a more local touch this time: “Joy Ma Kali.”
MASTERSTROKE?
A deep-rooted devotion to Goddess Kali permeates all strata of BengalI society, something the bhadralok could no longer dismiss. It was seen as a masterstroke when Prime Minister Modi first greeted a packed political rally with “Joy Ma Kali,” sending tremors through the TMC camp.
“Joy Ma Kali” and “Joy Ma Durga” replaced “Jai Shri Ram” overnight.
Other BJP leaders followed suit in a subtle attempt to distance the party from its image as an "outsider" force, and to connect with women voters, a significant electoral base in Bengal. The new slogan was also seen as an apt counter to the TMC’s “Joy Bangla,” which itself was positioned in response to the BJP’s “Jai Shri Ram.”
Surprisingly, even as BJP leaders in Bengal kept their preferred chant at bay during rallies, wherever they went for roadshows and public interactions, they were still greeted with the familiar “Jai Shri Ram.”
A viral video showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepping out of his chopper as people on rooftops shouted “Jai Shri Ram” at the top of their voices.
Another moment from voting day showed Suvendu Adhikari going around polling centres, where he was greeted with “Jai Shri Ram” chants by people standing in queues. When TMC workers confronted him with “Joy Bangla,” he responded with “Jai Shri Ram.”
There were several such moments where “Jai Shri Ram” resurfaced even as political messaging shifted towards more regionally tailored chants.
Deeply embedded in public consciousness over time, the slogan had come to symbolise resistance, defiance and assertion. In Bengal’s political landscape, it evolved from a North Indian chant into one that was adopted -- and redefined -- in its own distinct flavour.
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