TMC, BJP launch rival football tournaments ahead of 2026 Bengal polls, invoke Swami Vivekananda

Kolkata, Sep 11 (PTI) As the battle lines sharpen for the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, two of the state's most defining passions, football and politics, are colliding in a high-stakes turf war.

The ruling TMC and the opposition BJP have launched parallel football tournaments this week both invoking Swami Vivekananda and youth power, but with sharply contrasting political undertones.

On Thursday, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya inaugurated the 'Narendra Cup' in Howrah's Dasnagar to commemorate the 133rd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's iconic speech at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893.

The week-long football tournament, which will conclude on September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also Vishwakarma Puja, is being viewed as a major grassroots outreach effort by the BJP in the run-up to the elections.

"This is not merely a tournament, it's a tribute to Swami Vivekananda's message of cultural nationalism and youth empowerment. From Darjeeling to Digha, the youth of Bengal are rising to the occasion," Bhattacharya said at the launch.

Though not officially a BJP-organised event, the 'Narendra Cup' is backed by the 'Nationalist 1300 Club' and is being actively managed by party leaders and members of the BJP Yuva Morcha.

Over 1,300 teams from 43 organisational districts are taking part, each mirroring a BJP district unit. Winning teams, runners-up and third-place finishers will be awarded with cash prizes respectively, along with trophies.

A day earlier, the party released the tournament's jersey and theme song, emphasising the symbolic linkage between Vivekananda's vision and Prime Minister Modi's leadership.

Taking a dig at the ruling party, Bhattacharya said, "The TMC can have a Vivekananda Cup, or even a Nibedita Cup or Rabindranath Cup, but no leader's image should be burnt. That's not our culture. We are honouring Vivekananda through action, not slogans." Not to be outplayed, the TMC government had already announced its own move to reclaim the football field.

Last month, State Sports Minister Aroop Biswas declared that the Department of Youth Services and Sports, in association with the Indian Football Association (IFA), would organise the 'Swami Vivekananda Cup Zilla Club Football Championship', an inter-district tournament starting September 11, to mark the same 133-year milestone of Swamiji's speech.

The government-backed event will feature 348 matches across Bengal, with the final scheduled for March 26, 2026, just weeks ahead of the expected Assembly elections.

Responding to the BJP's accusations of politicisation, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "The BJP is trying to politicise everything, even football. Swami Vivekananda belongs to the entire nation, not to any one party. Our focus through the Swami Vivekananda Cup is to promote sports, unity, and youth empowerment, not score political points." Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari framed the tournament differently, saying it was about honouring "the greatest propagator of Sanatan Hindu Dharma".

"On this day in 1893, Swamiji presented the universality of our ancient wisdom to the world. This is a tribute, and also a message to the youth who are tomorrow's leaders," Adhikari said.

With TMC's now-iconic slogan "Khela Hobe", first used during the 2021 elections, back in the spotlight, political observers say the real game has only just begun.

In West Bengal, football is more than just a sport, it's emotion. And this time, it's also politics, pageantry, and prelude to the polls. PTI PNT MNB