What's the story?
The State Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, Ritesh Tiwari, has urged India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wield his influence and force the organisers of the Indian Super League (ISL) to include the two Kolkata giants – Mohun Bagan and East Bengal – in the popular franchise league.
In a post on Facebook, Tiwari shared the letter he penned to Modi requesting him to take into consideration the contribution of the two big Kolkata clubs in the context of Indian football over the years.
The context
Last month, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the body that handles and organises ISL, announced the result of a tendering process for new clubs to be part of ISL next season. I-League outfit Bengaluru FC and a team to be floated by Tata Steel were the winners of the bid process, with both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal opting out of submitting bid documents since their multiple demands were not met.
Among their demands were to play home matches in Kolkata and a waiver of their ISL franchise fees. Having been given the cold shoulder by the ISL, both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have had to resort to aid from their political connections to make a backdoor entry into the popular franchise league.
The heart of the matter
The battle between the two big Kolkata clubs and the ISL looks set to continue as fan protests and threats become the order of the day in the City of Joy. Having carried the can for Indian football for over a hundred years, both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have seemingly earned a sense of entitlement as regards dining at the top table of Indian football.
However, with their non-submission of the bid papers, both Kolkata clubs failed to adhere to the rules in the first place and their inclusion in ISL 4 looks a distant prospect.
What's next?
Modi has been a vocal supporter of football in India and has seen Indian football take giant strides forward during his current reign as the Indian Prime Minister. That being said, he doesn't have a direct influence on the workings of the ISL, hence expecting the Prime Minister to step into the middle is a stretch.
Author's take
It remains to be seen what comes out of Tiwari's letter to the Prime Minister. It is undeniable that both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are the fabric of Indian football, but to have them play ISL next season ahead of bid winners Bengaluru FC and Tata Steel based on their legacy is far-fetched at best.
