Leader of Opposition and BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikari, posted on X, “In an unprecedented and unethical move, some top officials of football and sporting clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting have endorsed TMC candidate Sanat Dey for the upcoming Assembly by-elections in Naihati. I believe that such brazen political endorsement by people holding important administrative positions in sporting clubs and governing bodies is an unfair tactic to associate the clubs’ and governing body’s name with the candidate, which is outright unsportsmanlike and also in violation of the code of conduct for such sporting institutions.”

“I have written to Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandviya requesting him to kindly take cognizance of the matter, conduct an enquiry and take appropriate action for the violation of the code of conduct,” he added.

The TMC, on the other hand, posted, “Our candidate Sanat Dey’s love for football is known to everyone in Naihati. Be it Mohun Bagan, East Bengal or Mohammedan Sporting Club, his immense contribution towards maintaining a healthy sporting culture in Naihati is appreciated by them all.”