At a time when politics is heating up in West Bengal over the proposed exit of Sourav Ganguly as Board of Control for Cricket in India President, a loaded statement on the issue by a leading BJP MP from the state has added fuel to the volatile episode.
Addressing media persons at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on Wednesday evening, actress-turned-politician and Hooghly MP, Locket Chatterjee said that something bigger might be waiting for Ganguly.
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“He is the pride of Bengal. He had been in an important position in the BCCI. Probably, he will be occupying a more important position in the coming days. I would like to wish him all the best for that. No politics is involved with the issue," said Locket Chatterjee. However, she denied any comment when asked of the “more important position" whether she was hinting at was the chairmanship of International Cricket Council (ICC).
Cricket Association of Bengal’s former Secretary, Biswarup Dey, who is currently in active politics as a Trinamool Congress councillor in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, has said that as a former colleague of Ganguly in the CAB, he would be happy to see the latter as the ICC Chairman.
“However, I have a piece of advice for him that he should refrain from endorsing products like innerwears if he gets the chance to become the ICC Chairman. Such endorsements do not suit the image and weight of a cricket administrator," he quipped.
Dey also made a loaded statement that Ganguly’s proposed exit from the chair of BCCI President is some kind of a poetic justice.
“When he was made the BCCI President, the name of former Indian cricketer Brijesh Patel was almost finalised for the chair. However, at the last moment, Ganguly was made the President probably keeping in mind the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls and sentiment of the people of West Bengal associated with him. So, in a way such a result was inevitable," said Dey.
Meanwhile, state BJP leaders attacked Trinamool for describing the development as an injustice to Ganguly as he did not join the BJP before the 2021 Assembly polls.
“People having least knowledge about the history of the BCCI are trying to find politics over this development. No one ever has been in the chair of BCCI President for two consecutive terms. I understand that the sentiments of the people of West Bengal regarding Ganguly are immense. But the manner in which Trinamool Congress is trying to mix politics with cricket is simply unpardonable," BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said.
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