The appearance of Bengali-language political posters by the Bharatiya Janata Party across Puri, just ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections, is unlikely to be coincidental. While Puri, anchored by the sacred Jagannath Temple, has long attracted Bengali pilgrims, the explicitly political nature of these posters marks a shift from cultural outreach to calculated electoral messaging.

By targeting Bengali visitors and pilgrims in Odisha, the BJP appears to be extending its campaign footprint beyond West Bengal. This raises important questions about the ethics of indirect campaigning in religious and tourist spaces, where faith and leisure should remain insulated from partisan influence. At the same time, it also dents the so-called ‘Odia Asmita’ slogan of the saffron party in Odisha.

Political communication is legitimate, but its intrusion into spiritually significant destinations risks eroding the sanctity of such spaces. If left unchecked, this trend could normalize the politicisation of pilgrimage hubs, turning them into extensions of election battlegrounds rather than places of devotion and unity.