After a satisfactory performance in the panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is now targeting the fans of Kolkata soccer to increase her vote-bank. Going one step forward, Banerjee pays Rs 10 lakh each to the bigwigs of Kolkata football-East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting.
Confirming the news, secretary of East Bengal Club Kalyan Majumdar said the fund will be used to renovate the members’ gallery.
“She has kept her word. We have already received the amount,” Majumdar told FE.
When asked if it is safe to seek financial aid from a political party, he said: “Why not? East Bengal is a sports-based club and the door is open for all.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mohammedan club secretary and TMC leader Sultan Ahmed said his club has not received the amount yet, “but will get it soon as we have been requesting ‘Didi’ to give us a thought. We are grateful to her.”
However, Mohammedan will follow East Bengal by spending the amount for the renovation of the members’ gallery. When asked if this funding is a kind of election gimmick, Ahmed refused to comment.
According to sources, Ahmed and Mohun Bagan president Swapan Sadhan Basu, who is also a TMC member, requested Banerjee to come up with a sizeable fund for the respective clubs. But by no means, the club officials are prepared to see this funding from a political point of view.