Indian footballer, Cong councillor join Trinamool Congress

Joining of Nabi in the party ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections is considered to be a crucial development. 

Nabi, who was in the national football team for nine years till 2013, said: “My motive is to work for common people and I feel Trinamool Congress is providing me the platform to work for them.”

Secretary General of the party Partha Chatterjee on Sunday handed over the party flag to Nabi. Other senior leaders including MP Abhishek Banerjee were also present.

There was buzz among the footballers and football lovers in the state that Nabi, who was one of the few footballers to play at all the important clubs in the state including Mohun Bagan, is going to join Trinamool Congress. On Sunday the midfield, who is equally talented as a striker and at the same time also in defence, has finally joined the party.

Nabi is not the first footballer to join Trinamool Congress. Arjuna Award winner footballer Prasun Banerjee is at present the party’s MP from Howrah. Former captain of the Indian football team Dipendu Biswas had contested as a Trinamool Congress candidate from South Basirhat Assembly constituency in a bypoll in 2014.

It came as a blow to the Congress ahead of the Assembly elections after Chakraborty joined the TMC. After joining the party, Chakraborty said: “The unofficial alliance between Congress and CPI(M) is unacceptable. We cannot join hands with those who had once tortured us. So I decided to quit the Congress and join the Trinamool Congress.” 

It may be mentioned that Chakraborty was once known to be close to a TMC minister. He had joined Congress ahead of the municipal elections in Bidhannagar and contested in the election from ward number 7.