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Tag: Khela Hobe

  • ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan returns as Kolkata’s Bhowanipore gears up to elect Mamata Banerjee in bypoll

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Barely four months after a high-pitched electoral battle in the Assembly polls, mercury in West Bengal politics is soaring yet again as CM Mamata Banerjee is all set to contest from the Bhowanipore constituency on September 30 to get elected as an MLA and continue her term.

    The slogan ‘Khela Hobe’ (there will be a game)—coined by Mamata —has returned to the poll graffiti in the south Kolkata constituency.

    Minister Firhad Hakim and MLA Madan Mitra took to the streets to paint the walls in support of their party supremo.

    The by-election is said to be crucial to Mamata as she lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram and she has a deadline till November 5 to get elected as an MLA.

    ALSO READ | Bengal bypolls: Trinamool begins campaigning; Congress undecided about fielding candidate against Mamata

    “My leader Smt @MamataOficial has been the MLA of Bhawanipur twice earlier. This time she is again going to be the MLA of this area! In the excitement of the run up to the elections, we stepped out on the streets painting walls in our locality to show our support. #AbarKhelaHobe,” Hakim tweeted.

    The Bengal chief minister took her upcoming electoral battle seriously and she cancelled her North Bengal visit shortly after the announcement of the by-election on Saturday.

    Mamata was elected twice in 2011 and 2016 from Bhowanipore but she decided to take on her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari, who defected to the BJP, in Nandigram.

    Though the area in East Midnapore district is a strong bastion of the TMC, Mamata lost by 1,737 votes because of the Adhikari family’s sway in the district.   

    Though the BJP said it would give Mamata a tough fight in Bhowanipur as the constituency has more than 20 per cent non-Bengal electorates which the saffron camp considers its vote-bank, the TMC effused confidence banking on the consolidation of Bengali-speaking voters.     

    Giant flexes and posters displaying Mamata’s photograph have already been put up along the Harish Mukherjee Road the locality of the chief minister’s residence.

    “Wining from Bhowanipore will not at all be tough for the chief minister. Women electorates will extend their support as they did in the Assembly elections and Bengali speaking voters already rejected BJP’s narrative and Hindutva rhetoric,” said a TMC leader in Bhowanipore.

  • Trinamool Congress observes ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ across West Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress Monday celebrated ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ across West Bengal, as party leaders observed the day by organising football matches in every nook and corner of the state.

    The events are aimed at promoting sports and as a mark of respect to 16 people who had died in a stampede during a football match in Kolkata on this day in 1980.

    TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had last month announced that August 16 would be observed as ‘Khela Hobe Divas’.

    ‘Khela Hobe’ (will play) was the battle cry of the TMC during the high-octane assembly polls in April-May this year, as the party defeated the BJP to storm back to power in West Bengal for the third consecutive time.

    The TMC, which is looking to increase its national footprint, has also made mega plans to mark the day in various parts of the country, including Tripura, where it has directed a lot of energy with an eye on the 2023 assembly polls.

    “The ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ is being observed across the state. In other parts of the country, too, we have plans to organise events. However, in some BJP-ruled states, we were not given permission. We are still pursuing the matter with the authorities,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.

    The West Bengal government has also lined up programmes at various stadiums and distributed footballs to various clubs.

    Meanwhile, the BJP voiced its opposition to the ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’, claiming that the Muslim League had launched its Direct Action Day and began the Great Calcutta Killings in 1946 on August 16.

    The saffron party has decided to observe the day as ‘Paschimbongo Bachao Diwas’ (Save West Bengal Day).

  • Hinting national-level alliance, TMC says ‘Khela Hobe’ to be celebrated across India

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: The ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan will reverberate across India in the coming days, said Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra on Saturday.

    “Khela Hobe to be celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Haryana, Bihar and many other states. Some will celebrate under the flag of Trinamool Congress while others may not use any party symbol. But the slogan Khela Hobe will reach across India,” said TMC leader Mitra while speaking to ANI.

    This Khela Hobe slogan became famous during West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year. This became the poll bugle for the party.

    “BJP wanted to obstruct as they are fond of violence but our party wants peace, soon TMC will reach across the country. Without the TMC an alliance or any front is not possible,” said Mitra.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a clarion call to the leaders of Opposition parties to set up a united front for 2024 general elections and had said, “‘Khela’ (game) will happen in all states until BJP is removed from the country.” 

  • Hinting at 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Mamata Banerjee says entire country to witness ‘khela’ in near future

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said TMC’s poll slogan ‘khela hobe’ (there will be a game) has become immensely popular among people, and the entire country will be witness to a match that will be played in the days to come, apparently hinting at the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    The TMC supremo also said that Bengal will take pride in showing India the way.

    “You may or may not agree but it’s a fact that the slogan has become very popular in the country. In Parliament and several states like UP and Rajasthan, too, the slogan was raised,” she maintained after inaugurating here the ‘Khela Hobe’ scheme, under which footballs will be distributed among sports clubs.

    Banerjee further said that a brief game has been played thus far, and more is in the offing.

    “Bengal can take pride in showing people the way in this match. Remember, in the near future, the entire country will be witness to a game. There cannot be any life without khela (game),” she asserted.

    The feisty TMC boss said she has heard people chanting the slogan everywhere she went during electioneering for the assembly polls, held earlier in the year.

    The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to observe ‘Khela Hobe Divas’ on August 16, taking after its popular slogan, to commemorate the death of 16 football fans who had died in a stampede during a Derby match in the city in 1980.

    Distributing 10 footballs each to 303 clubs affiliated to the Indian Football Association (IFA), she said over one lakh more will be handed over to players and coaches in the rural areas.

    Noting that her government has provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to at least 25,000 clubs in the state, Banerjee said those taking part in matches organised on the occasion of the ‘Khela Hobe’ Divas would be given additional Rs 15,000.

  • 2024 Lok Sabha polls: Mamata urges Opposition parties to get united to dethrone Modi

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Giving a clarion call to dethrone the BJP in the 2024 general elections, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the Opposition to unite against the Narendra Modi government keeping aside all other interests. 

    Taking her ‘Khela Hobe’ pitch to the national stage, she said ‘Khela’ (game) will happen in all other states in the 2024 elections until the BJP government is derailed. She requested all non-BJP parties to start planning from now as only two-and-a-half-year is left.

    Referring to her party’s stupendous victory in the 2021 Assembly elections, Mamata, while addressing virtually on the occasion of the party’s annual Martyr’s Day event, said, “Khela ekhono sesh hoy ni. Khela hobe ebar onno shob state e jotodin na BJP utkhat hochhe kendro theke (the game is not over yet. The game will continue until the BJP is uprooted from the Centre).”

    ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan was coined by Mamata ahead of the last Assembly polls in Bengal when she lashed out at the BJP in public rallies. The TMC organises its Martyr’s Day event on July 21 every year to observe commemorate the death of 13 party workers who were gunned down during a protest march led by Mamata in 1993 under the banner of Youth Congress.

    ALSO READ | Pegasus row: Mamata says Modi govt wants to establish ‘surveillance state’, calls for Opposition unity

    Aiming to unite all oppositions under one umbrella, Mamata said, “Not even three years, only two-and-a-half-year is left. We have no time to waste planning for the general elections. We should be united. Forget your all other interests. Now we should focus on one interest which is saving the country. If we form an alliance shortly before the elections, it may not work. I will be in Delhi shortly. I propose Sharadji (Sharad Pawar) and Chidambaramji (P Chidambaram) call a meeting of opposition leaders. I will act as a worker and follow the instructions given by the leaders of the alliance.”

    Mamata’s call to unite the opposition parties on Wednesday is said to be her first move to venture into national politics ahead of the 2024 general elections.

    She also hinted at a mega rally in Kolkata in the coming months. “I could not organise a meeting in Bengal because of the pandemic situation. I will organise an event at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata in the coming winter inviting all leaders of opposition parties,” she tweeted.

    For the first time, the TMC organised the screening of Mamata’s virtual address in Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and other states showcasing her as a face of anti-BJP. Underlining the national emphasis of her speech, Mamata spoke for 45 minutes in Bengali, Hindi, and English.

    At the beginning of her speech, Mamata thanked Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Digvijay Singh, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena, Jaya Bachhan of Samajwadi Party, and representatives Akali Dal, DMK, and other parties for attending the event at the Constitution Club in Delhi.

  • People should win, says Bangladeshi MP, original creator of Trinamool’s ‘Khela hobe’ slogan

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A political game will be successful only if there is no loss of life and people smile in the end, believes Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League MP Shamim Osman, considered the creator of the ‘Khela hobe (game will happen ) slogan, used amply by the Trinamool Congress during the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal.

    The two-word slogan ‘Khela Hobe’ of the TMC has become so popular during the high-octane campaigning that even the BJP, which is trying to dethrone the Mamata Banerjee government, has used it in its own way.

    Talking to PTI from Dhaka in an exclusive interview, the MP of Narayanganj-4, said that he started using the slogan in 2016 in an entirely different context, when they were fighting “anti-independence forces” in Bangladesh, but will be happy if the people on the other side of the border win the ‘khela’ and there is no bloodshed.

    “I have heard that politicians in Bengal have been using the Khela hobe slogan. But I do not know in what context they are using it. It will be the asol khela (real game) if the people of Bengal win it,” the sexagenarian politician said.

    Asked in what context he had coined the ‘Khela hobe’ slogan in 2016, Osman said that it was used against the anti- liberation forces of Bangladesh.

    The senior Awami League leader alleged that the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were against the nation’s freedom but they got a chance to be in full-fledged politics.

    “The Jamaat along with the BNP had carried out destructions in Bangladesh for at least three months during 2013-14. People will not forget that. It was at that point of time we coined the khela hobe slogan (at a public rally).”

    “You want to play, okay fine. let’s play. We wanted to show them who has the support of people. The game was between those who were against independence and those who were in favour of independence, in favour of peace. And it was proved that people were with us,” Osman said.

    This year, The TMC’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal first started using the slogan and later the party’s theme song was written with the two words coming as a refrain.

    After that, every TMC leader including Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee was heard uttering ‘Khela hobe’ in their public meetings.

    “In India, people who are into politics were never against the independence of the country and they all wanted the country to stay together. But in Bangladesh, this was not the case. That’s the beauty of Indian politics,” he said.

    Osman said he had shared a very cordial relationship with India’s former President Pranab Mukherjee and ex-chief minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu.

    “I was very close to Pranab Mukherjee and Jyoti Basu. Pranab-babu was like a father figure to me. And I have seen how cordial these politicians were towards each other despite their ideological differences,” the Awami League MP said.

    He expressed hope that India will achieve the status of a superpower.

    “We, who are in the Sheikh Hasina government, want the Indian democracy to flourish more. The more India will be powerful, Bangladesh will progress. India is trying to be a superpower whereas we are developing,” he signed off.

  • People of Bengal want ‘Vikas’ not ‘Khela’, will vote for Congress-Left alliance: Jaiveer Shergill

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Taking a jibe at Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of assembly polls in West Bengal, Congress leader and star campaigner of Congress Jaiveer Shergill on Sunday said that ‘jhol hobe’ corruption will certainly happen whether BJP comes or TMC returns to power.

    “Mamta Banerjee says ‘Khela hobe’ (Game on), while Prime Minister Narendra Modi says ‘Khela Shesh’ (the game is not over), but we say if BJP or TMC will come to power then only “Jhol Hobe”. People of Bengal want a change and therefore they will vote for the Congress-left alliance and then ‘vikas hobe’ (development will happen),” he said referring that the Congress party is fighting the election on the issue of development.

    Speaking to ANI about Congress’ agenda for the campaign in West Bengal, Shergill told ANI that people of Bengal are paying a heavy price for the political violence in the state.

    “BJP and TMC are doing politics; playing tug of war or engaged in mud-slinging politics. Congress’ main plan for Bengal is providing ‘Rojgar and Karobar’ (Jobs and Businesses), Congress is solely focused on bringing the wave of development, employment, and rural progress,” Shergill said.

    He said that today people of West Bengal are only seeing blots being created by BJP and TMC, but the only thing which Congress wants people to see is the spot of prosperity and development.

    West Bengal is likely to witness a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left alliance and the BJP in the fray. Congress is fighting the polls alliance with Left parties, and it will contest on 92 seats in the state. In the last assembly elections, Congress won 45 seats and claimed the berth of Leader of Opposition in the assembly.

    However, in the recent polls for Lok Sabha, the party managed to secure only two out of 42 seats in the state while BJP won 18 seats and secured the second position in West Bengal.

    Elections to 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

  • ‘Khela Hobe’: Trinamool’s poll jingle goes viral, BJP uses it to hit back at Mamata camp

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: TMC’s popular poll jingle ‘Khela Hobe’ (game is on) seems to have also caught the fancy of rival BJP, as political heavyweights of both the parties draw references to its lyrics, sometimes even building slogans around the song, at their public metings in Bengal.

    Originally written and uploaded on YouTube by TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya in January, the jingle has since undergone many variations, with the party’s Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal first giving it a spin and chanting ‘bhoyonkor khela hobe’ (fierce game will be played) at a rally.

    “The song ‘Khela Hobe’ has been able to establish an instant connect with people. It has received a favourable response from youth across the state,” Bhattacharya said.

    At a recent rally in Kamarhati constituency addressed by Bhattacharya, a thousand-strong crowd lapped up every word of the song delivered in a rap format.

    Former minister and the ruling camp’s candidate from the constituency, Madan Mitra, has recorded his own version of ‘Khela Hobe’, while the party’s Ghatal MLA Shankar Dolai was recently seen dancing wildly to the beats of the song at a roadshow.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also been asking voters at rallies if they were ready for the game to begin (Khela Hobe?), drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

    “Khela Hobe. Ami goalkeeper. Dekhi ke jete,” (the game is on. I will do the goal keeping. Let’s wait and see who wins,” Banerjee said at a meeting.

    The BJP, which had initially criticised the TMC for likening the political battle with a game and “trivialising” the democratic process, co-adopted the slogan later, with defence minister Rajnath Singh, among other saffron camp leaders, bringing ‘khela hobe’ references in their speech, in a bid to take a jibe at Banerjee and her party.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting here recently, had said ‘khela khatam, vikas shuru’ (game ends, development begins).

    “Election can never be equated with a game. There is an element of threat hidden in the slogan,” BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya said.

    BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, however, does not mind borrowing the slogan from the TMC to give the opponents a befitting reply.

    “Let the game begin. People of the state will vote for the BJP and give a befitting reply to TMC for its misrule. Paribartan (change) will happen very soon,” Ghosh said.

    The jingle penned by Debanshu says, “Baire theke bargi ashe/Niyom kore proti mashe/Amio achi, tumio robe/Bondhu ebar khela hobe! (Looters from outside are visiting the state every month, but we are ready to face them. The game is on).