NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs PC Mohan and Tejasvi Surya on Friday took a ‘rasmalai’ jibe at Raj Thackeray – who had used the term to mock BJP leader Annamalai during his election campaign – as the saffron party dominated the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other Maharashtra civic elections.PC Mohan, Lok Sabha MP from Bangalore Central, shared photos of ‘rasmalai’ (Indian sweet dish) on X and wrote: “Ordered some rasmalai. #BMCResults.”The tweet was a direct jibe at Raj Thakeray, who started a war of words with BJP MP K Annamalai earlier last week.
Mumbai BJP chief spokesperson Niranjan Shetty also celebrated the party’s victory by distributing rasmalai. Soon, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also joined in on X saying, “A sweet ‘Rasmalai’ victory for BJP Mumbai in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Election. Congratulations to CM Devendra Fadnavis and all dedicated karyakartas for their tireless efforts in this victory. The Triple Engine Sarkar, under the leadership of PM Modi, will work strongly for Mumbai’s redevelopment and improve Ease of living for all Mumbaikars.“Meanwhile, Annamalai himself congratulated the Mahayuti government for clean sweep in Maharashtra civic polls.“The people of Mumbai have spoken with crystal clarity! The historic victory of the Mahayuti alliance in the BMC elections is a resounding endorsement of development-first governance. From the grassroots of local bodies to the halls of the parliament, this is the Triple Engine that delivers real, tangible development for every citizen. While the opposition trafficked in divisive narratives aimed at fragmenting the people, Mumbai chose unity, progress, and inclusive growth,” the BJP leader wrote on X.Taking veiled jibe at Raj Thackeray, Annamalai wrote: “The opposition was banking on the failed strategy of dividing Mumbaikars along linguistic and regional lines, a 20th-century relic the people soundly rejected. While our NDA government talks about development infrastructure, jobs, and growth, the opposition clung to an archaic narrative of regional animosity. Mumbaikars chose substance over divisiveness.“The ‘rasmalai’ controversy started when while campaigning in Mumbai for the BMC elections, Annamalai had said the city didn’t belong to Maharashtra alone as it was an international city.The remarks triggered a sharp exchange at a joint Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS rally in Mumbai. MNS chief Raj Thackeray took a swipe at Annamalai, mocking him as ‘rasmalai’ and questioning his authority to comment on Mumbai. He also raised the slogan “hatao lungi, bajao pungi”, a phrase long used derogatorily against South Indians in the city.Annamalai responded defiantly, saying some had threatened to cut his legs if he visited Mumbai. “I will come to Mumbai. Try cutting my legs,” he said, insisting his comments had been misrepresented.Clarifying his position, Annamalai said praising leaders like K Kamaraj did not diminish their Tamil identity, just as calling Mumbai a world-class city did not erase the role of Maharashtrians in building it. He stressed that Mumbai’s growth was inseparable from the contributions of the Marathi people.Annamalai also accused Shiv Sena leaders of insulting Tamils by mocking their traditional attire, such as lungis and veshtis, and said it was surprising that the DMK chose to share political space with parties that resorted to such remarks.Interestingly, before ‘rasmalai’ it was ‘jalebi’ that was served as a sweet revenge by the BJP. In 2024, as the BJP swept Haryana assembly elections, its Haryana unit marked its dramatic comeback and a historic third consecutive assembly win with a pointed gesture: sending a kilogram of jalebis to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Delhi office.
