A few politicians are embracing courtesy to shape their poll campaign in Bengal where politics is usually all about being merciless to rivals.

Sometime around 5pm on Saturday evening, CPM’s Dumdum North nominee Tanmoy Bhattacharya dug his heels into an anti-Trinamul polemic at a media event. He echoed the “cut money” refrain sounded out by the BJP. But minutes after the media event ended, Tanmoy made a unique gesture of inviting his rival party workers to tea at a nearby stall.

The gesture seemed to echo Calcutta’s Coffee House culture of endless debates minus personal attacks.

In this poll season, some of Bengal’s political faces are keeping these unwritten manners alive. Tanmoy and a handful of CPM rivals ended their day’s work with an hour’s worth of conversation and puffed rice. The stoic vendor did not know how to tell his customers apart politically.

Speaking to The Telegraph, CPM candidate Tanmoy, also the sitting MLA of Dumdum North, said: “I always interact with people without political prejudice. To me, interaction at a personal level is important. I do not believe all Trinamul workers are bad. There are many good people among our rivals. I never mingle with the bad elements.”

He said he recently walked into Trinamul’s office in Durganagar in his constituency. “After some pleasantries, one of the Trinamul workers offered me some almonds. Then I found them taking tea with muri (puffed rice). Without hesitation, I picked up some muri from the bowl and joined the chat and returned,” said Tanmoy.

In Kalyani, CPM candidate Sabuj Das feels the same.

“Polls last only a month. Life is much longer,” smiled Sabuj, who tries to keep vitriol out of his campaign messages.

Sabuj added: “I believe that politics is for people. For me, it will be unfortunate if relationships with people are soured just over political differences. So, I never mind interacting with activists of my political rivals and seeking votes inside their party offices.”

In Chakdah, Trinamul candidate Subhankar Singh, who is no stranger to the acerbic nature of most Trinamul-BJP fights, tries to keep a cool head. Residents of the area take note of his ability to befriend rival party workers even as they are drawing opposing graffiti on walls.

“We have grown up together. A (political) party is not going to put a wall between us,” he says.

Singh credits his party chief Mamata Banerjee for the lesson in manners. “She never mixes politics with personal relations. She always inquires after rival leaders if they fall ill or meet with an accident.”

Singh’s efforts in particular made waves on social media a few weeks ago. In its wake, netizens have also found out about Sabuj and Tanmoy, who are sure-footed enough to remain pleasant.

“This courtesy is the culture of Bengal. These are gestures we have always expected from our politicians. There is definitely an acrimonious battle ahead. Nevertheless, amid such political enmity, it is great to see that these candidates are keeping their culture of courtesy alive,” said Anirban Sen, a playwright in Calcutta.

Singh may have the last word here. “The polls will be over soon, but people will always remember my behaviour. To me this is very important,” he said.