Mohun Bagan could find themselves dealing with a fresh confrontation in the club once the Pujas were over, some long-time members told The Statesman here today.
The club’s electoral rolls may have to be taken a fresh look at and they might call for corrections and large-scale revision as polls have been demanded as a consequence of rifts within the leadership set-up “*riding piggyback on ATK where expenses are concerned” but holding on to power, “making a mess of everything in the process.”
The members alleged that Mohun Bagan’s high-ups were now in a trap of their own making as Babun Banerjee, chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s brother who had been made football secretary for obvious reasons, was no longer getting on well with finance secretary Debasish Dutta, currently the public face of the club where secretary Srinjoy Bose’s presence was “low-profile and far from vocal.”
Banerjee’s utility used to fuel mocking queries in the club as ATK controlled Mohun Bagan’s football affairs but he had now swung around, referring to Dutta’s failure to quell fan unrest in the city, with processions and Press conferences demanding the institution established in 1889 split from upstarts ATK.
Banerjee, who now heads the Bengal Olympic Association and has made his presence felt quite acutely since his sister came to head the state’s administration, has reportedly spoken of Dutta’s allegedly inept handling of fan fury leading to an administrative drift in Mohun Bagan.
“It could mean he wants personally to control the football section but it’s not clear how that’s to be gone about considering ATK’s all-powerful presence,” the members said. According to them, both Banerjee and Dutta are “unpopular” but the football secretary’s demand for polls could win him friends and loyalists.
“Few people liked the way Mohun Bagan were made subservient to ATK, after all,” they said.
Narrow victory
Mohammedan Sporting Club will take on Railway FC in the final of the Calcutta Football League’s premier division next week. At Kalyani today, the black-and-white brigade edged 1 – 0 past United SC, Marcus Joseph scoring off a penalty in the 40th minute. Railway FC made the final earlier.