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This story is from March 14, 2021

'Khela hobe': Game’s on in Assam too, with a twist

| Prabin Kalita | TNN | Mar 14, 2021, 02:04 IST
In the Bengali-majority constituencies, Congress candidates like ... Read More
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GUWAHATI: Trinamool Congress’s viral election jingle “Khela hobe (the game is on)” is resonating in Assam with some Congress improvisation and BJP gamesmanship.

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In the Bengali-majority constituencies, Congress candidates like former minister

Rockybul Hussain

have been treading the fine line between inspiration and copyright violation to own Mamata Banerjee’s chant. “Khela, khela,

khela

hobe, ei bar Congress sarkar hobe (the game is on, this time Congress will form government),” Hussain declared at a rally in Lumding on Saturday.

“It’s ‘khela hobe’ for our candidates Swapan Kar (Lumding) and Debabrata Saha (Hojai),” he said. Not to be left behind, minister and BJP strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma turned around the slogan to project himself as a striker up against a non-existent goalkeeper.

“Khela to hobe, kintu goalkeeper thakbe na. Ami khali shoot korte thakbo. Joto ta shambhab, toto ta goal hoye jaabe (The game will be played, but without a goalkeeper. I will only keep shooting at the goal and it’s more than likely the ball will hit the target).”

Sarma may have been alluding to the

West Bengal

CM’s remark at a rally in her state a few days ago. “Khela hobe. Aami goalkeeper. Dekhi ke jete (The game is on. I will be the goalkeeper. Let us see who wins).” The slogan has also reverberated in ‘Independent’ territory. Riding the khela hobe wave, former BJP MLA Dilip Paul, contesting Silchar as an Independent, announced at a rally that he was up for the game.

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“Ei matite khela hobe, Dilip Paul er joi hobe (The game will be played on this ground and Dilip Paul will win).” The jingle, written by TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya, went viral soon after it was uploaded on YouTube. Several variations have been released in Bengal since.
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