On Didi’s appeal to PM for Sourav, Suvendu makes a comeback. It has an SRK reference too

Banerjee had said Ganguly must be allowed to contest the ICC election and that she would write to Modi in this regard.

Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Bengal Assembly, on Monday hit out at chief minister Mamata Banerjee over her appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to let BCCI president Sourav Ganguly contest the ICC (International Cricket Council) election and expressing her shock over the former India captain’s exit as the cricket board chief.

Suvendu Adhikari (PTI)

“If Mamata Banerjee wanted to extend Ganguly's role then she should have made him the brand ambassador of West Bengal,” Adhikari told reporters.

“Remove Shah Rukh Khan and make Sourav Ganguly the brand ambassador of West Bengal. If Mamata Banerjee wanted to extend Ganguly's role, then she should have made him the brand ambassador of the state. Don't do politics in sports. PM Modi stays out of these things,” Adhikari said.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee said Ganguly must be allowed to contest the ICC election and that she would write to Modi in this regard. According to her, the BCCI president is being “deprived of the opportunity for being a popular figure”. She further requested the central government to “not take a decision politically, but for cricket and sports”.

Meanwhile, according to an official from the BCCI, Ganguly was keen to continue as its chief but he was told that there is no precedence of giving a second term to the Board president, reported PTI.

"Sourav was offered IPL chairmanship, but he politely declined the offer. His logic was that he cannot accept becoming head of a sub-committee in the BCCI after heading the same institution. He had expressed interest in continuing in the position," the official was quoted as saying by PTI.