Did Sourav Ganguly ask Yusuf Pathan to quit as MP for Mamata? Dada clears air
Sourav Ganguly has issued a detailed clarification after a report claimed Mamata Banerjee requested him to nudge Yusuf Pathan to resign as Baharampur MP so that she could contest the ensuing bypoll and enter the Parliament.
After the Bengal poll drubbing, where she lost her own seat to her bete noire Suvendu Adhikari, speculation was rife that Mamata Banerjee could enter the Parliament through a bypoll. A report in a Bengali daily claimed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) sought the help of former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly to convince ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan to resign as Baharampur MP so that Mamata could contest the bypoll. However, Ganguly has now denied the sensational claims, calling them in "reckless disregard of the truth".
At the centre of the controversy is a report in a popular Bengali daily on Mamata's political future. The report mentioned that to keep herself relevant and stage a comeback, Mamata might take the Lok Sabha route to the Parliament.
WHAT IS THE SOURAV-YUSUF-MAMATA ROW?
The report, citing sources, mentioned that the TMC was eyeing the Baharampur seat in Murshidabad district. Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan emerged as a giant killer by winning the seat in 2024 against veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The TMC considered it to be a safe seat for Mamata as Muslims, the party's key vote base, account for 50-52% of the population in Baharampur.
The report said the party approached Ganguly to convey Mamata's message to Pathan and urge him to vacate the Baharampur seat so that she could contest the ensuing by-election.
Sourav and Yusuf played together as teammates for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, albeit for a brief period. The report further claimed that Pathan had declined the alleged proposal.
The report also came at a crucial time amid buzz that a rebellion was brewing in the Trinamool's parliamentary wing. Sources have told India Today TV that 23 TMC MPs were in touch with the party's rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
SOURAV GANGULY CLEARS AIR
As the report generated a massive political buzz in Bengal, Ganguly on Saturday issued a detailed statement, rejecting the claims as "completely false".
The former BCCI president clarified that he has never been involved in political matters, and urged media organisations to verify facts before publishing such sensational reports.
"The allegations in the article, insofar as they concern me, are in reckless disregard of the truth," Ganguly said. He further stated that he was never requested by Mamata to convey any message from her to Yusuf Pathan. He also denied ever contacting Pathan on the issue.
"I never approached or contacted Yusuf Pathan... As such, the question of Pathan responding in the manner as alleged in the article does not and cannot arise," Ganguly further said.
The controversy comes as Mamata and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, are set to reach Delhi on June 8 to attend the INDIA bloc meeting and pacify disgruntled TMC MPs.