Political parties in West Bengal are employing football tournaments as a core strategy for the upcoming assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are both using the sport to gain traction. The TMC is staging the Swami Vivekananda Cup, while the BJP is organizing the Narendra Cup. Both tournaments are set to begin in September. The Narendra Cup’s inauguration is on September 11, the same date as the TMC’s football tournament. The BJP’s event coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17. The Narendra Cup will be held initially at the district level.
Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, BJP leader and MP from Purulia, is the convener of the committee. He disclosed during a press conference that this tournament will be a first of its kind. A total of 43 football tournaments will be held, involving 1300 football teams. The winning team will be awarded 50,000 rupees, while the runners-up will get 25,000 rupees, and the semi-finalists, 15,000 rupees. The theme song of the tournament was also launched simultaneously.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya asserted that the Narendra Cup is dedicated to Swami Vivekananda, not Narendra Modi. He maintained that the Narendra Cup aims to bring together youth who are dedicated to the nation, as Vivekananda encouraged the youth. Meanwhile, the TMC’s Swami Vivekananda Cup has already been announced, with the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare organizing the competition. The TMC is organizing the tournament to commemorate the 133rd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago address. Sports Minister Arup Biswas said that 23 districts in the state will participate in the competition. Each district will field 8 teams. The competition will start at the district level. Then, the top two teams from each district will compete at the inter-district level. This tournament will continue until March 2026. A total of 390 matches are planned. The sports events will serve as a platform for these political parties before the impending electoral battle.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh stated that the Narendra Cup is named after PM Narendra Modi. He questioned why the BJP chose the name Narendra Cup instead of Vivekananda Cup. TMC has named its tournament the Swami Vivekananda Cup to honor its legacy. Ghosh accused the BJP of attempting to corrupt the legacy. The state is currently witnessing a debate about Bengali identity. Two days earlier, a TMC student leader from Malda’s Chanchol College, AB Soyal, burned a poster of Rabindranath Tagore with BJP leaders. Abhishek Banerjee suspended the demonstrator and dissolved the TMC unit of Malda’s Chanchol College. Subsequently, the BJP, under the leadership of Suvendu Adhikari, staged protests. Responding to the Rabindranath Tagore incident, TMC displayed a photo showing Union Education Minister Sukanta Majumdar standing on a stage with images of Tagore and Vivekananda at his feet. TMC asked why the criticism is directed towards TMC when a Union Minister has disrespected Tagore and Vivekananda? Both parties are now trying to improve their public image by praising and honoring Swami Vivekananda. BJP, under the leadership of state president Samik Bhattacharya, began the Narendra Cup, and TMC announced the Swami Vivekananda Cup.