TMC leader Kunal Ghosh accuses BJP nominee of bribery attempt

Kolkata: A day ahead of the bypolls on Wednesday, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh, releasing an audio recording with BJP’s Maniktala nominee and All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey, has accused Chaubey of offering a post in national football if Ghosh helped him to win the bypoll.

The conversation puts the BJP candidate in a tight spot, only a day ahead of the by-poll.

Ghosh has been appointed as a convener of the Trinamool’s four-member committee to manage the Maniktala constituency, which was represented by the late state minister Sadhan Pande. Pande’s wife Supti Pande is fighting for the seat.


Ghosh said, “We know that Supti Pande will win. Mamata Banerjee has formed a four member committee to bring victory to the party. BJP candidate called me on Sunday (July7). It is democracy and courtesy-he can call me. But he offered me a post in national football, if I helped him in the election. This is cheap and shows bad taste. This is what BJP’s candidate says and he will witness a huge defeat. It is an attempt to bribe me.” Ghosh said that he is presently a Mohun Bagan Vice-President.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh has released an audio recording with BJP Maniktala candidate Kalyan Choubey. “Around 11.30pm on Sunday (July 7) the BJP candidate and AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey called me, urging me to help in the by-election, knowing fully well that I am the Trinamool convener for the by-election,” Ghosh said before releasing the audio.

It is heard in the audio conversation released by Ghosh that Chaubey says, “If I become MLA, I think you will have a great role. I am in sports. In future, if you want, you will be accommodated in the sports arena.” The full audio conversation between Chaubey and Ghosh will be released late today evening.

Chaubey said, “It is natural that a candidate can call anyone. I have no habit of recording calls. Had I had a habit of recording, you would have known what he said. It is beyond courtesy to record someone’s voice. At the end of this month, he was scheduled to go outside Kolkata and join BJP. It was Ghosh who told me to call him through a person.”