With the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, all political parties have initiated their preparations. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have adopted football matches as part of their promotional strategies. The TMC is organizing the Swami Vivekananda Cup, while the BJP is hosting the Narendra Cup. These sports events are planned to commence in September. The inauguration of the Narendra Cup will occur on September 11th, the same day as the launch of the TMC’s football tournament. The BJP’s initiative is strategically timed to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, which is on September 17th. The Narendra Cup will initially be held at the district level.
Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, BJP leader and MP from Purulia, is the convener of the committee. He mentioned in a press conference that this is the inaugural tournament of its kind. A total of 43 football tournaments will be organized, with 1300 football teams participating. The winning team will be awarded 50,000 rupees. The runners-up will receive 25,000 rupees, and the semi-finalists will get 15,000 rupees. The tournament’s theme song was also released on the same day.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya clarified that the Narendra Cup is inspired by Swami Vivekananda, not Narendra Modi. He explained that the tournament aims to unite the youth who are dedicated to the nation, echoing Vivekananda’s message. Meanwhile, the TMC’s Swami Vivekananda Cup has already been announced. The Department of Sports and Youth Welfare is managing the competition. The ruling TMC is organizing the tournament to commemorate the 133rd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago address. Sports Minister Arup Biswas said that 23 districts will participate in the competition. Each district will have 8 teams. The district-level competition will be followed by inter-district matches involving the top two teams from each district. This competition will continue until March 2026, featuring a total of 390 matches. This game is like a different type of competition prior to the competition at the political stage.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh stated that the Narendra Cup is named after PM Narendra Modi, and he questioned why the BJP did not choose the name Vivekananda Cup. The TMC chose the name Swami Vivekananda Cup to honor its legacy. Ghosh accused the BJP of attempting to tarnish their heritage. There is ongoing debate concerning Bengali identity in the state. Two days earlier, a TMC student leader from Malda’s Chanchol College, AB Soyal, burned a poster of Rabindranath Tagore with BJP leaders, sparking a controversy. Following this, Abhishek Banerjee suspended the demonstrator and dissolved the TMC unit of Malda’s Chanchol College. Subsequently, the BJP, led by Suvendu Adhikari, organized significant protests. Responding to the Rabindranath Tagore incident, TMC displayed a photo showing Union Education Minister Sukanta Majumdar on a stage with images of Tagore and Vivekananda at his feet, asking why the criticism is directed at TMC when a Union Minister disrespected Tagore and Vivekananda? Now, both parties are trying to improve their image by recognizing Swami Vivekananda. The BJP under state president Samik Bhattacharya, began the Narendra Cup, while the TMC announced the Swami Vivekananda Cup.