Fish emerges as a campaign symbol on Bengali New Year

Bengali identity was on full display in poll‑bound West Bengal on Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, on Wednesday (April 15, 2026), as candidates across political parties campaigned with fish to signal cultural affiliation ahead of the Assembly election.

In Kolkata, senior Trinamool Congress leader and Tollygunge candidate Aroop Biswas participated in a campaign carrying a fish in his hands. A similar campaign was launched by Kaustav Bagchi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Barrackpore, who went door to door greeting residents with a fish dangling from his hand.