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Politics erupts over Sourav Ganguly’s BCCI exit
The BJP rubbished the charges, stating that Ganguly is a cricketing legend and that the BCCI’s decision has nothing to do with politics
A political row erupted on Tuesday over Sourav Ganguly’s exit as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “trying to humiliate” the former India skipper for not joining the BJP.
The BJP slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led party for politicising the matter and also dismissed allegations that it was trying to rope in Ganguly in the run up to the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections.
1983 World Cup winner Roger Binny is set to replace Ganguly as BCCI chief as he was the only one who filed his nomination for the post of president on Tuesday.
Ganguly’s exit became evident when his name did not feature among options for the top post during a high-profile meeting of senior past BCCI administrators with political clout in New Delhi last week, HT reported on Wednesday. He held the post of BCCI chief for three years.
Alleging political vendetta against Ganguly, the TMC also attacked the BJP over continuation of Jay Shah, son of Union home minister Amit Shah, as BCCI secretary.
“Another example of political vendetta. Son of @AmitShah can be retained as Secretary of #BCCI. But @SGanguly99 can’t be. Is it because he is from the State of @MamataOfficial or he didn’t join @BJP4India? We are with you Dada!” TMC MP Santanu Sen tweeted.
Sen also pointed out how Amit Shah and few BJP leaders had visited Ganguly’s residence here on May 6.
“There is information that Ganguly was approached repeatedly to join BJP. Probably as he has not consented to join BJP and is from Bengal, he has become prey to political vendetta. Amit Shah’s son was retained as BCCI secretary, but not Ganguly,” he said.
In 2021, speculations were rife that the BJP wanted Ganguly to drive its fortunes in the assembly elections in West Bengal that year.
When Ganguly was admitted to a Kolkata hospital after suffering a mild heart attack in January in the same year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to enquire about his health and wished him a speedy recovery.
Ganguly, meanwhile, played down the speculation of him joining the BJP. “We will see where it goes, what opportunities come in the way, we will take it from there,” he had said.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also hit out at the BJP for “trying to humiliate” the former India captain.
“Since the BJP floated such propaganda during and after the 2021 polls, it will surely be the responsibility of the party to respond to such speculations (that politics is behind Ganguly not getting a second term as BCCI chief). It seems the BJP is trying to humiliate Sourav,” he said.
The BJP slammed the TMC for politicising the issue. The party also denied allegations that it tried to get Ganguly on board before the 2021 assembly elections.
“We don’t know when the BJP tried to rope in Ganguly. He is a cricketing legend. Some people are now shedding crocodile tears about the changes in the BCCI. Did they have any role when he took over as BCCI president? The TMC should stop politicising every issue,” BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said.
“This is related to the world of cricket and only those related to cricket can comment on it. It has nothing to do with politics. The TMC can’t find an issue to attack the BJP and is, hence, politicising the matter,” senior state BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.
Political experts believe the TMC will benefit hugely if Ganguly now decides to join the ruling party.
“The BJP is already in trouble in West Bengal. So, what else can it lose? But the TMC would definitely try to increase its hobnobbing with Ganguly. The party’s image has taken a hit and hence, if a man with a clean image joins the party, it would definitely be a booster,” political commentator Biswanath Chakraborty said.
