India’s 1983 World Cup-winning hero Roger Binny appears set to become the new president of the cricket board as incumbent Sourav Ganguly, who held the position for three years, is expected to make way for him.
Given that cricket and politics in India are virtually inseparable and also against the backdrop of numerous rumours over the years of Ganguly “changing turfs” and likely joining the BJP, there have been reactions from parties in West Bengal about the developments.
The former India captain has not commented on the issue.
Sourav Ganguly becoming BCCI president in 2019 had come as a bit of a surprise to many. Tuesday’s developments evoked somewhat similar reactions.
Veteran Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said, “This is bad. He was made to leave this post because he did not join politics? Is this the reason?”
The party’s Rajya Sabha member Dr Santanu Sen took to Twitter to express his feelings.
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!
— DR SANTANU SEN (@SantanuSenMP) October 11, 2022
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party stunned the TMC and many pundits by bagging 18 of the 42 seats in Bengal. The saffron outfit then went all out, though unsuccessfully, to secure a win in the 2021 assembly elections.
Ganguly became BCCI president in 2019, and afterwards there was a buzz in Bengal that “Dada (Sourav) would join the BJP and take on Didi (TMC chief Mamata Banerjee)”.
However, Sourav got hospitalised just before the assembly polls because of a heart ailment.
There was no confirmation on whether he had been approached by the BJP to take the political plunge.
In May this year, Ganguly hosted home minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders at his home, reigniting the rumours.
BJP Bengal spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “Pulling Sourav into such a political game is defaming him. The TMC is doing that.”
According to sources, Trinamool leaders and members of the state cricket fraternity linked to the party may carry out demonstrations in favour of the former India captain.
Maharaj, as Ganguly is known in Bengal, was also recently seen on stage with Mamata Banerjee at a rally by the state government to thank UNESCO for granting a heritage tag to the Durga Puja festival.
Also, his wife Dona Ganguly’s dance troupe was seen performing at a post-Durga Puja carnival this year in the state.
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