Haryana elections: What do ’jalebis’ have to do with Rahul Gandhi and poll debacle?

Haryana Elections 2024: The 'Jalebi Revolution' swept social media on Tuesday, when the Election Commission was counting votes to declare the final Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir election results. But do these two elements – ‘jalebi’ and Haryana elections have any connection? The answer is yes.

Social media users were using the "jalebi" trend to troll the Congress – which lost the Haryana assembly election to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a massive drubbing. The official results defied the exit polls, which had predicted a clean sweep for the Congress.

But why jalebis? 

Well, the Haryana elections and the Congress' link to "jalebis" dates back to October 1. That day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held an election campaign meeting at Gohana in Haryana's Sonipat. What Gandhi had said back then had taken social media by storm. It was about Gohana's famous jalebis.

Rahul Gandhi mentioned in his speech about the legendary creator of Gohana's jumbo-sized 'jalebis' – the late Matu Ram. The Congress leader said he tasted "the best jalebi of my life".

Speaking from a pedestal, Rahul Gandhi showed a box of the famous jalebi-maker Matu Ram' halwai' and emphasised that his jalebi should be sold across the country. Gandhi also said that the jalebis should also be exported which will generate more employment opportunities.

"The jalebis should be sent to American and Japan and other counties in different forms...," the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha also spoke about a "jalebi ki factory" that didn't go down well with social media users.

"If their jalebis are distributed across India and the world, it may be possible that one day, 10,000-20,000-30,000 people will be able to work at their factories," Rahul Gandhi said. He added that "Matu Ramji has been caught in a multi-tiered [chakravyuh]" laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"...PM Modi has trapped him in a 'chakravyuh' like Abhimanyu was trapped in Mahabharat," he said, adding that Mathu Ram was trapped in demonetisation and then "wrong" GST. "He will also not be given a loan by banks," Gandhi claimed.

Attacking the opposition INDIA bloc, PM Modi said they have a formula of having five prime ministers in five years if they come to power. “Ask them, is the prime minister's post our Matu Ram ki jalebi?”

“Jalebi”, Haryana polls and trolling

Several social media users on Tuesday took a moment to mock Rahul Gandhi over his "jalebi ki factory" remark. Many pointed out that jalebis aren't made in factories but is traditionally handmade. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) posted on X, "This ‘jalebi’ is not ‘Factory-Made’ though!"

Beside this, the BJP and many social media users took potshots at the Congress leader after his party faced a massive blow in the Haryana elections 2024. Exit polls had predicted a clean sweep by the Congress. However, the BJP's historic feat on Tuesday came as a surprise for the grand-old party. Here are some of the posts on social media platform X:

BJP vs Congress over jalebi

Soon after the vote counting started on Tuesday, the Haryana Congress posted on X, "Ram Ram Haryana. Jalebi Diwas ki shubh-kamnayein". Hours later, the Haryana BJP posted, “Maturam ji (from Gohana) Your jalebi, pan, shop, ghee and grain are all safe because the BJP has come for the third time...Congratulations to all the families of Haryana.”

Meanwhile, Assam Minister Ashok Singhal posting a photo of himself enjoying jalebis. He captioned the picture as, “Mitron, Kha lo jalebi... Aaj Party hogi heavy” (Friends, eat jalebi… today the party will be big).

Union minister JP Nadda also took a jibe at the Congress, saying, "Jo Jalebi ka andaaz le kar baithe the, vo unko khane ko naseeb nahi hui...[They did get to eat the jalebis they were thinking of]".

The BJP scored a hat-trick by winning 48 seats, just two more than the majority mark. The party scripted history, forming a government in the state for the straight third term. This will be the first time that a political party will form the government in Haryana for the third consecutive term. Meanwhile, the Congress won 37 seats, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) two seats and the Independent candidates three seats.