West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday waded into the controversy surrounding Sourav Ganguly’s impending exit from the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI), saying she’s going to request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit the previous India cricketer and BCCI chief to contest for the place of Worldwide Cricket Council’s (ICC) chairperson.
Banerjee questioned why Ganguly didn’t get renominated for a second time period as BCCI president at the same time as BCCI secretary Jay Shah, Union House Minister Amit Shah’s son, is ready to proceed in his place. The BCCI election on Tuesday has been diminished to a formality, with every place attracting only one nomination. Ganguly is ready to get replaced by former Check cricketer Roger Binny, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning workforce and present Karnataka Cricket Affiliation president. The opposite BCCI office-bearers — Shah, Ashish Shelar (treasurer), Rajeev Shukla (vice-president) and Devajit Saikia (joint secretary) — will likely be elected unanimously.
The one huge level of hypothesis is who the 2 BCCI representatives will likely be on the ICC. Whereas Jay Shah is predicted to be India’s consultant on the ICC Board conferences, it stays to be seen if the BCCI throws its hat within the ring for the ICC chairmanship. It learnt that the BCCI could give the ICC chairmanship a miss and again a second time period for New Zealand’s Greg Barclay.
Ganguly is a broadly common determine in West Bengal and his removing from the BCCI has led to a political slugfest between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. The CPI(M) and the Congress have additionally questioned Ganguly’s impending exit from the cricket physique. Non-BJP events have alleged that the previous cricketer needed to pay the value for saying no to becoming a member of the BJP.
Final 12 months, Ganguly’s title made the rounds in political circles as a possible BJP chief ministerial candidate if the celebration gained the Meeting polls. On the time, the TMC additionally reportedly tried to get Ganguly to hitch it. Sources near the previous cricket captain stated he felt large stress from each side within the run-up to the polls and subsequently determined to not make the leap into politics. On Could 7, Ganguly hosted a dinner at his Kolkata dwelling for Amit Shah. That triggered a recent spherical of hypothesis.
Mamata Banerjee landed at Bagdogra airport on Monday on her option to north Bengal for a four-day tour. There, she informed reporters, “Sourav Ganguly will not be solely the satisfaction of Bengal but in addition of the complete nation. He has led the cricket workforce and the BCCI with the utmost dedication and duty. The Supreme Courtroom had given a three-year extension to each Sourav Ganguly and Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, however for causes not but recognized, Jay Shah continues to be persevering with because the BCCI secretary whereas Sourav Ganguly has been faraway from his place. We don’t have any drawback with Jay Shah persevering with on the BCCI. He isn’t a BJP member. If he does good work, I’ll help him. However, if he doesn’t, we’ll query him. Our grievance is why Sourav Ganguly was let go from the BCCI. We need to know on whose order was it achieved? We consider that there’s been injustice achieved to Ganguly.”
The TMC chairperson went on so as to add, “The one compensation to the transfer must be that Sourav Ganguly be allowed to contest the ICC chairman’s elections. There’s priority for that. Each Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sharad Pawar went on to guide the ICC after completion of their tenure on the BCCI. It’s my humble request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit Sourav to run for the ICC submit. He’s a nationwide treasure and his removing from the BCCI president’s submit is unjustifiable. Please take into account this matter in gentle of the way forward for sports activities in our nation. Sourav is Bengal’s ‘Dada’, he’s Bengal’s brother and isn’t affiliated with any political celebration. My request to the Centre is that this matter shouldn’t be handled politically or vindictively.”
Banerjee, who’s popularly known as “Didi”, stated Ganguly was an “extraordinarily common determine not simply in India, however throughout the entire world”. She added, “Each nation that has performed cricket is aware of about him and it’s a matter of shock and disgrace that he was ousted from BCCI unceremoniously. I, as soon as once more, request the federal government to not act vindictively and take the choice on the idea of betterment of cricket and sports activities.”
The BJP lashed out on the CM over her feedback. State BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya stated, “One mustn’t do politics over a character like Sourav Ganguly. If Sourav Ganguly is so cherished, why was Shah Rukh Khan chosen as model ambassador of Bengal?”
Bhattacharya’s celebration colleague and Chief of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari echoed the comment. “If she is so shocked by the Sourav Ganguly choice, then first she ought to make him the model ambassador of the state,” Adhikari stated.
CPI(M) chief Sujan Chakraborty backed Ganguly, however criticised the CM. “Sourav Ganguly is our satisfaction. He is a superb cricketer and a beautiful administrator as effectively. However, the chief minister taking his aspect is tarnishing Sourav’s picture. The chief minister mustn’t maintain her hand on Sourav’s head as a result of at any time when she has saved hand on anybody’s head, she or he is completed.”
— With Sports activities Bureau inputs