As West Bengal prepares for Assembly elections next year, political parties have taken the competition to the football field.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is organising the Swami Vivekananda Cup, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is holding the Narendra Cup.
Both tournaments began on Thursday.
Football, one of the state’s most popular sports, is being used as an outreach tool by both parties to engage voters ahead of the 2026 elections.
BJP’s state president Shamik Bhattacharya inaugurated the Narendra Cup in Howrah. Speaking to reporters, he said that he would refrain from commenting on political matters on this day, as it marks the anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s address in Chicago. He added that the football tournament, being held from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, is organized to commemorate this historic day and honor the man who represented India on the international stage.
The tournament’s committee convener, Purulia MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, stated that this is the inaugural edition of the competition. He explained that a total of 43 tournaments will be held, with 1,300 football teams participating. The winning team will receive ₹50,000, while the runners-up will be awarded ₹25,000, and each of the semi-finalists will receive ₹15,000.
The theme song of the competition was also launched on Thursday. The Narendra Cup matches will be held from September 11 to 17, with September 17 marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
BJP’s initiative is seen as an effort to bring together the youth ahead of the polls.
On the other hand, TMC’s state sports minister Arup Biswas announced that 23 districts will take part in the Swami Vivekananda Cup. He explained that eight teams from each district will compete in district-level matches, with the top two teams from each district advancing to the inter-district stage. The tournament will continue until March 2026 and will feature a total of 390 matches.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh criticised the BJP’s tournament, saying that their own event is linked to Swami Vivekananda, while the BJP’s cup is associated with Naren Gosai—Narendranath Goswami, who had turned approver and threatened to reveal secrets about revolutionary activities. He added that Goswami was a man who betrayed India and supported the British during the struggle for independence.