In the middle of a campaign-style rally, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was seen casually opening a can of Coca-Cola. Nothing unusual at first glance, until the video hit social media and the timing, setting, and caption turned it into a talking point.
As India faces an aluminium crunch affecting canned drinks, Sarma’s moment of refreshment quickly got labelled online as “Coke politics”.
A cola break that didn’t look like a shortage at all
The viral video, shared from Sarma’s official X account, shows him at a public gathering in West Bengal, holding and drinking from a Coca-Cola can. Around him, several people are also seen with similar canned beverages.
His post came with a pointed caption: “Coke shortage what? Nah, not for me. At least in Bengal.”
Coke shortage? What?
Nah not for me, atleast in Bengal 😄 pic.twitter.com/Rn6kErMDU9
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 24, 2026
At a time when reports of canned beverage shortages are circulating in parts of India, the visuals suggested a very different scene on the ground, at least where the rally was happening.
The contrast between reported scarcity and visible availability gave the clip its viral push.
Why canned drinks are suddenly harder to find
The bigger story behind the buzz is not just political theatre but a supply chain problem. India has been dealing with a shortage of aluminium, which is a key raw material used to make beverage cans.
This hit especially hard in segment of drinks that depend heavily on cans such as diet sodas and low-sugar variants.
Unlike regular soft drinks that can be packaged in plastic bottles or glass, these products rely more on aluminium packaging. This makes them more vulnerable when supplies tighten.
As a result, shelves in some areas have reportedly seen uneven availability, with canned drinks becoming harder to source compared to bottled ones.
Global supply shocks and rising demand add pressure
The shortage didn’t appear overnight. International factors have played a big role in tightening supply chains.
Disruptions in shipping routes particularly around Strait of Hormuz, key global trade passage, have slowed down movement of raw materials. That delay has had ripple effect on industries dependent on imported aluminium.
At the same time, global aluminium prices have been climbing steadily and recently touched multi-year highs. India has felt the impact too, with rising costs feeding directly into production pressures for packaged beverages.
When health trends meet packaging problems
Another layer to the issue is changing consumer behaviour. Demand for low-sugar and sugar-free drinks has been rising sharply as more people shift towards healthier choices.
But there is a catch. Many of these beverages are primarily sold in cans rather than plastic bottles or glass containers. So as demand for healthier drinks grows, strain on aluminium-based packaging has increased too.
This mismatch between rising demand and limited packaging supply has made shortages more visible in certain markets.
Against this backdrop, Sarma’s Coke-sipping moment in West Bengal landed right in middle of sensitive political and economic atmosphere especially with Assembly polls underway.