Social media recently got obsessed with the term ‘Jalebi’, a traditional Indian sweet after the BJP’s unexpected win in the Haryana Assembly elections. A couple of days before the results, the Indian congressional party president Rahul Gandhi tested the popularity of jalebi in Haryana by filming a short video in an orange t-shirt, stating how much he loved jalebi and laughing, that he would bring some for sister, Priyanka Gandhi. Initially, launched by Gandhi in a lighter vein, became emblematic of Congress arrogance when the BJP A list outdid the Congress in the polls.
First, Congress supporters rejoiced over leads that came in and congratulating themselves for the expected victory as pollsters had predicted Congress for majority in the 90- member assembly. Nevertheless, as the counting slid, BJP gained on Congress, and landed a third successive victory in Haryana. From jalebi in Congress offices, things turned into ridicule What began as celebration, turned into ridicule. Memes tracing the jalebi statement to Gandhi started trending on social media as the BJP supporters took the sarcasm to lighten the moment and show the Congress leader was unaware of the realities of daily life.
Even BJP leaders such as Assam Minister Ashok Singhal got into the act and shared pictures of him having the jalebi, thus adding to the social media storm. Memes and post satirically depicted how the expected victory of Congress ‘twists like Jalebi’ with BJP in the spot.
The jalebi meme perfectly demonstrated that political campaigns have become activities that are managed with trendy memes on social networks, comparing the moment when Gandhi caught the woman’s attention to the fact that the Congress party failed and the BJP succeeded. This episode is good in that it brought out a reality in Indian politics where everything can turn around in a short span.
