Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee got here out to bat for Sourav Ganguly, saying that the previous India skipper was “disadvantaged” from being renominated for a second time period as the top of the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The chief minister, who has typically clashed with the central authorities, additionally urged the prime minister to ship Ganguly to the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC).
“I need to know why Sourav was axed. The best way he was eliminated [from BCCI] in an unfair method can solely be compensated by sending him to ICC. My humble request to the honourable PM, is to permit him to contest for ICC [chairman post]. He’s been disadvantaged,” Mamata advised the media Monday at Kolkata airport.
Nominations for the ICC chairman need to be filed on October 20.
The Bengal chief minister herself issued the assertion earlier than flying to North Bengal for administrative engagements.
“Sourav is a well-liked determine. Is that why he’s been disadvantaged? I’m actually shocked. Don’t take it politically or vindictively. He’s not a political occasion member. I urge the federal government to take a call for the [benefit of] sports activities,” Mamata mentioned.
Whereas his three-year time period expired in September, Ganguly was eligible for an additional time period as per the BCCI’s guidelines and rules. Union House Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, in the meantime, will proceed because the BCCI secretary for a second consecutive time period.
Ex-India selector Roger Binny is about to switch Ganguly because the cricket physique’s thirty sixth president on the BCCI’s annual basic assembly on 18 October. The Board hasn’t issued any assertion on Sourav’s exit, to this point.
On Saturday, Ganguly advised reporters at Eden Gardens in Kolkata that he can be submitting nomination on 22 October to contest the Cricket Affiliation of Bengal (CAB) election. The outgoing BCCI president had served because the CAB president from 2015 to 2019.
A sports activities icon in his state, Ganguly has been a topic of a lot debate in West Bengal politics ever because the 2021 meeting polls. The retired cricketer has to this point not given any indication of plunging into politics.
Union House Minister Amit Shah together with senior leaders of Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) had dinner at Ganguly’s residence in Behala on 6 Could, resulting in a hypothesis that he was inching in direction of the primary opposition occasion that’s attempting exhausting to make inroads in Bengal.
Mamata, too, has maintained shut ties with Kolkata’s ‘Maharaj’, the identify given to Ganguly by his followers. Ganguly had shared the stage with Mamata on 1 September to thank UNESCO for honouring Bengal’s Durga Puja with an intangible heritage tag.
The Bengal chief minister had rushed to the hospital to investigate cross-check Ganguly when he was admitted in January final yr after a chest ache. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had additionally referred to as Ganguly to investigate about his well being.
Cricketer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwary echoed Mamata’s sentiment that sports activities and politics need to be saved separate.
“I help the assertion that the honourable CM has made. Sports activities and politics need to be saved separate. There was some inner politics inside the BCCI as a result of only a few weeks in the past, they [BCCI officials] moved court docket to take away the cooling off interval. Why immediately has Dada [Ganguly} been asked to go? As a player who has seen him on the field till his last match, we don’t like it. Sourav is the pride of our country,” the Bengal sports minister told ThePrint.
BJP MP Dilip Ghosh, however, claimed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was only politicising the issue. “Sourav Ganguly is a cricket legend. I don’t know when the BJP tried to rope him into the party. I don’t know why TMC is shedding crocodile tears. Did they have any role when he took over as the BCCI chief? TMC needs to stop politicising this now,” he told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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