Terming Jagmohan Dalmiya's re-election as Cricket Association of Bengal president as a 'victory of evil over good', West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday vowed to continue the fight to remove the cricket administrator from the CAB in the interest of the game.
"So far I'm concerned I'll not compromise with this man. The battle will continue. I want him to leave this post. I want him to leave the organisation," Bhattacharjee told newspersons in Kolkata.
Describing Dalmiya's rule over CAB as an 'evil empire', the Chief Minister said "until it is removed, the fight will continue."
"Yes, I want him to leave. So long he is there in the CAB the future of cricket in Bengal is doomed. Unless he leaves, it will further deteriorate," he said.
"He has many interests ... Vested interests ... All interests other than cricket," the Chief Minister said.
Justifying his public statement last month that Dalmiya should stay away from the CAB presidential contest, he said "whatever I said, I said consciously. In normal circumstances one does not take such a stand. But there are times when it is a crime not to intervene when such interventions are necessary."
"I said this in the interest of Bengal cricket, the cricketers and to save the Eden Gardens which has become a condemned stadium," Bhattacharjee said at the state secretariat.
{{/usCountry}}"I said this in the interest of Bengal cricket, the cricketers and to save the Eden Gardens which has become a condemned stadium," Bhattacharjee said at the state secretariat.
{{/usCountry}}"And accordingly I had requested Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty to persuade Dalmiya to stay away," he said.
Ignoring Bhattacharjee's express wish, Dalmiya filed his nomination to the top CAB post and won the highly politicised election yesterday defeating Kolkata Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, who was backed by the Chief Minister.
Dalmiya, a former BCCI and ICC chief, also ensured the victory of his entire panel over the nominees put up by the dissident faction.