BJP plans football competition in West Bengal, promises prizes like free tickets to FIFA U-17 World Cup

Taking a cue from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's success in winning over youth by distributing government grants to local sports clubs, the BJP is looking to woo the youth through football. The party has announced the Deendayal Upadhyaya Champions Trophy, a football competition through which it plans to distribute cash prizes, sports accessories and free tickets to the FIFA U-17 World Cup scheduled from October 6 to 28.

Though evidently an attempt to firm up its foothold in the state, BJP leaders insist their foray into sports is different from what the Trinamool Congress is doing. BJP youth wing president Debjit Sarkar says it's the party's way of reminding Bengal's youth of Swami Vivekananda and Deendayal Upadhyaya's ideals.

State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh says the clubs patronised by TMC have become dens of anti-social activity. "Our party will try to return these clubs to the local boys by engaging them in sports and things other than politics," he says.

But many saffron leaders are apprehensive that the TMC's hold over the sports clubs might affect the success of the soccer tournament. Nonetheless, the party has started distributing sports kits, football shoes, jerseys and footballs. It's unlikely to match up, though, to what the TMC government has planned. The state sports and youth affairs department will spend Rs 3.6 crore on 150,000 soccer balls to be handed out to the youth to celebrate the FIFA U-17 World Cup final. It is a 'special' football designed by Mamata herself and named 'Joyee (victorious)'.

TMC spokesman Partha Chatterjee says if anything, "some parties (BJP) are copying our theme". Indeed, who better than politicians to play political games over soccer?