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Rupa Ganguly won the Sonarpur Dakshin seat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, defeating the Trinamool Congress incumbent by 35,782 votes.
BJP’s non-veg message in Bengal: Rupa Ganguly will continue to have mutton on Sundays, ‘Who'll stop me?’(Main Image: X/@RoopaSpeaks)Rupa Ganguly won the Sonarpur Dakshin seat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. She contested on a BJP ticket and defeated the Trinamool Congress incumbent, Arundhuti Maitra, by 35,782 votes. Outside Bengal, Ganguly is best known for playing Draupadi in BR Chopra's Mahabharat (1988–1990).
Ganguly received 1,28,970 votes, capturing around 52% of the total vote share. The win was part of a broader BJP sweep in the state. The party secured a majority to form the West Bengal government for the first time.
But, it was not the margin that made headlines. It was what she said afterwards.
Mutton on Sundays
In her post-victory remarks, Rupa Ganguly addressed what had become one of the strangest recurring themes of the Bengal election campaign. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress repeatedly raised the question of whether a BJP government would interfere with Bengali food habits.
Mamata Banerjee's party repeatedly warned voters that the BJP's culture was alien to Bengal. They suggested dietary restrictions would follow a BJP win.
Ganguly dismissed this directly and with some colour. She said the Bengali identity of fish and rice would remain intact. She added that there would also be meat and mutton. She announced she would eat mutton every Sunday.
The actress-turned-politician also said she would eat fish and rice every day except Tuesday and Saturday.
"Who’ll stop me from eating fish and rice?" she said to Anandabazar Patrika.
According to her, the fears around food restrictions are long-standing false narratives.
BJP’s ‘Non-Veg’ Campaign
Ganguly's remarks did not emerge in a vacuum. The BJP had spent significant campaign energy countering the TMC's food narrative.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur publicly ate fish curry and rice in Kolkata. A BJP candidate from Bidhannagar famously canvassed while carrying a large fish. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya clarified the party had no plans to restrict fish, mutton or eggs.
The message was consistent. The BJP wanted Bengal's voters to see it as a party comfortable with their culture and their plate.
Rupa Ganguly on Acting
Rupa Ganguly also addressed questions about her Tollywood past. She was blunt. She said she had no personal dreams related to the film industry at this point.
Ganguly said her party had entrusted her with the responsibility of developing Sonarpur Dakshin. She would focus on that.
If the party assigned additional work, she would do that too, even if it meant double the effort. On acting, she asked pointedly, “Why should I act now? How much do actors in Bengal even earn from the work?”
Missing Her Mother
Away from the campaign noise, Ganguly allowed herself a quieter moment. She spoke to the publication about missing her mother on a day like this.
“She would have cooked boiled bitter gourd, boiled papaya, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, green chillies, mustard oil and soft rice made from coarse grains,” Ganguly told the publication.
“Even a familiar Muslim man with henna in his beard is happy that I won. We must see people as human beings. That is what I do. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is so fond of me,” she added.
About the Author
Sounak Mukhopadhyay
Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.
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