PM Modi bends it like Beckham in Sikkim but message is for Bengal

The timing of PM Modi’s political play is hard to ignore. In Sikkim’s neighbouring state, Bengal, where the second phase of polls is due tomorrow, football isn’t just a game – it’s part of the state’s cultural identity.

PM Modi playing football in Gangtok

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a break from his hectic campaign schedule in West Bengal by playing football with youngsters in Gangtok, Sikkim, on Tuesday. A day after reaching Sikkim from the heat and humidity of Bengal, PM Modi was seen in a different avatar – shelving his usual kurta for track pants and football spikes.

However, the timing of this political play was hard to ignore. In Sikkim’s neighbouring state, Bengal, football isn’t just a game – it’s part of the state’s cultural identity. The move by the Prime Minister seems to be well-timed to score brownie points ahead of the Bengal polls, sending across a subtle message in a state where the love for the sport runs deep.

Remember the image of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sitting in a wheelchair and throwing a football at a rally in Bengal during the 2021 assembly elections amid chants of “Khela hobe“. The slogan resonated across different sections and proved to be a rallying cry for the TMC as it won a decisive two-thirds majority.

Posting images on X, PM Modi described it as an “energising” football session with youngsters.

“Nothing like playing some football with my young friends in Sikkim on a lovely Gangtok morning!” PM Modi wrote on Facebook while sharing some pictures of himself in action on the football field.

In the images, the 75-year-old Prime Minister is seen doing some warm-ups, dribbling past young players, and sharing light moments with the children. He is also seen taking a shot at the goal during a kickabout.

The visuals triggered an avalanche of reactions on social media. “Playing in Sikkim, scoring in Bengal,” one user tweeted.

Football enjoys immense popularity in Sikkim and the northeastern region. In fact, the region is a hub for a significant portion of the nation’s premier football talent.

Football icon and former national team captain Bhaichung Bhutia, known as the “Sikkimese Sniper”is from Sikkim.

PM Modi arrived in Gangtok on Monday after wrapping up his intensive campaigning in Bengal. His last message exemplified that Bengal voters wanted poriborton (change) and development after “living in fear” for many years under Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.

In Gangtok, the Prime Minister attended the closing ceremony of Sikkim’s 50th Statehood Day celebrations and unveiled development projects worth Rs 4,000 crore. The ceremony was organised to commemorate 50 years of Sikkim joining the Indian Union.

He also led a mega roadshow in Gangtok on Monday evening. All eyes will now be on May 4, when the results for the Bengal elections will be declared along with four other states. Will the optics in Sikkim transform into a goal for PM Modi and the BJP in Bengal?

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