Kolkata: Swapan Banerjee, brother of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has made serious allegations regarding the Bengal Olympic Association elections, claiming that voters were pressured during the 2024 poll process.
Read Bengali: বেঙ্গল অলিম্পিক নির্বাচনে চাপের অভিযোগ, বিস্ফোরক মমতার ভাই!
Speaking on the issue, Swapan Banerjee highlighted his long association with the organisation and said he had served in various key positions over the years.
“I have one thing to say. I was the Joint Secretary of the Bengal Olympic Association since 2012. In 2016, I became the Secretary of the Bengal Olympic Association. In 2020, I was elected President of the Bengal Olympic Association,” he said.
Allegations Against Aroop Biswas
Referring to the 2024 election, Banerjee alleged that former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas influenced the voting process.
According to him, “In the 2024 election, Aroop Biswas defeated me. He called the presidents and secretaries and told them that those who voted for Babun Banerjee would not receive any benefits.”
Banerjee claimed that this warning created fear among many office-bearers associated with the Bengal Olympic Association.
“Because of this, the secretaries and presidents became afraid. Despite that, I still received 24 votes in the 2024 election,” he added.
Questions Raised Over Election Process
The remarks have sparked fresh discussion within West Bengal’s sporting community regarding the functioning of sports bodies and election procedures.
Banerjee’s allegations suggest that external influence may have affected the voting environment, although he did not provide specific evidence to support his claims during the statement.
No Response Yet
As of now, neither Aroop Biswas nor the Bengal Olympic Association has issued an official response to the allegations.
The controversy comes at a time when transparency and governance in sports administration continue to remain key issues across various sporting bodies in India.
Any further response from the concerned parties is likely to attract significant attention from both the sports fraternity and political observers in West Bengal.
