BJP bid to wean clubs off TMC; Nitin Nabin pledges to rename Alipurduar and Islampur
Telegraph | 10 April 2026
BJP national chief Nitin Nabin on Thursday alleged that the Trinamool Congress used clubs to devise plans for booth capture in elections and asked the clubs not to act at the behest of the ruling party in the coming Assembly polls.
“The TMC has initiated the practice of providing money once or twice a year to the clubs. Ahead of the elections, the party uses the clubs as centres to draw up plans to capture polling booths,” Nabin said at a meeting organised with representatives of different clubs and NGOs at a hotel in Old Malda.
The BJP leader was referring to the annual assistance provided by the Mamata Banerjee government to clubs ahead of Durga Puja. In 2025, the government granted ₹1.10 lakh to each Durga Puja organiser.
Altogether, the cash-strapped state shelled out at least ₹400 crore to over 40,000 clubs and puja committees.
“I would urge office-bearers of the clubs to mull over such assistance which is provided for the publicity of Mamata Banerjee and her party. They should remember the idea or the principle on which the clubs were formed. There are reports that unless a club displays huge cut-outs and photos of Mamata Banerjee, the grant is not sanctioned. This practice has to stop,” Nabin added.
A political observer said: “Whether it be a town or a village, the office bearers and members of the clubs are well connected to the local people. Over the years, Trinamool wooed the clubs with the government grant, which helped the party drum up support at the micro level,” said a political observer.
In his speech, the BJP president said the clubs and social organisations should focus on the development of sports, cultural activities and other social works.
“The state government has not taken any initiative to develop sportspersons in different fields. Also, cultural activities, for which Bengal was always known, have taken a beating. Once the BJP comes to power, we would prioritise these areas as Trinamool is only interested in making money and using the clubs and organisations for political interests,” he said.
Later in the day, Nabin reached Asuragarh in the Chakulia Assembly constituency in North Dinajpur district.
At a public meeting there, he introduced some of the BJP candidates contesting from the district and played the polarisation card to consolidate votes. North Dinajpur has a Muslim population of around 50 per cent and nine Assembly seats.
In 2021, the BJP had bagged two seats while Trinamool had won the remaining seven.
"Bangladeshi infiltrators live in some of these areas. You should cast your vote, keeping in mind that you need safety, security and development, and ensure that these people do not live on your land or infringe on your rights,” he said.
Nabin asserted that if voted to power, the BJP would rename Alipurduar and Islampur, hinting that Islamic words prefix the names of the two places.
“The names don’t suit our culture and tradition. Once we form the government here, we will change the names of these places,” said Nabin.
Additional reporting by Soumya De Sarkar in Malda and Kousik Sen in Raiganj