Did he lose the position of the board president because Sourav Ganguli did not join the BJP?
As it became clear that Sourav Ganguli will no longer be the president of the Indian Cricket Board or BCCI, the decision has sparked a new political debate.
Leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal have demanded that the party should answer whether Sourav was removed from the post of board president for not joining the BJP.
However, the BJP is claiming that the matter is purely an “administrative decision”.
But many who have known the Indian cricket administration for a long time say that the cricket board has political connections – and Sourav Ganguli was also involved in it all knowingly.
In fact, after almost three years of serving as the board president, Sourav Ganguly is no longer in that position, it has already become clear from the words of the vice-president of the board, Rajeev Shukla.
Mr. Shukla said that only one nomination has been submitted for the post of president in the next October 18 election, that of former all-rounder Roger Binny – so he will be elected unopposed.
Jay Shah, who is the son of Home Minister Amit Shah, will also remain the secretary of the world’s most powerful and richest cricket board.
‘Next to grandfather’ grassroots
After that, senior Trinamool Congress MP Shantanu Sen tweeted with the message of “Standing by Dada”, Sourav Ganguly did not join the BJP because this anger fell on him? (Saurav is known as “Dada” by many in India.)
He also questioned how Amit Shah’s son remained on the board despite Sourav Ganguly stepping down.
Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also questioned why Sourav Ganguli was removed now after constantly promoting that he would join the BJP anytime.
At the press conference, he said, “At one time they gave the tide of the campaign, now they have to give the answer even during the ebb of the campaign.”
“Didn’t Sourav get retained because he didn’t join the BJP? But the BJP leader’s son Dibbi stayed in his post – there is no doubt that people have doubts and speculations about it,” said Kunal Ghosh.
Although the Trinamool did not make ‘any direct comment’ on the matter, the spokesperson of the party also openly said that the apology they are demanding from the BJP.
‘Administrative Decision’
West Bengal BJP leader and MLA Agnimitra Pal again says that the way Trinamool has inserted party people in the sports administration of the state does not suit them.
He was telling BBC Bengal, “What else can be expected from those who bring politics into everything in the state, education instead of sports?”
“Grandfathers, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces have been placed at the head of all sports federations – from cricket to football, Ludo to Bagadooli – in this state,” he remarked.
But the fact is, many members of the new committee in the Cricket Board of India are also influential BJP leaders. Kalyan Chaube, also a BJP leader, became the new president of the All India Football Federation last month.
I asked Miss Pal, BJP is doing exactly the same thing in cricket or football in all India?
Agnimitra Pal responded, “How can the two be mixed? Sourav Ganguli’s departure is an administrative decision, someone else will replace him when the term expires – that’s the point!”
He reminds that there is no precedent of anyone being president of Indian board for two consecutive terms, some of them have been president for more than one term but there was a gap of few years in between.
“And Jay Shah is being questioned, not seeing that Rajiv Shukla remains as Vice-President – he does the Congress!” Agnimitra Pal was saying.
Since Sourav Ganguli has a very good personal relationship with Amit Shah or Mamata Banerjee, CPIM leader Buddhadev Bhattacharya or Ashok Bhattacharya, the BJP leader also claims that her role in the cricket board should not be seen through the prism of politics.
‘Politics is all’
Much has been made of the extent to which politics played a role in Sourav Ganguli’s appointment as board president three years ago.
Seva’s Karnataka cricketer Brijesh Patel’s appointment as the president was somehow finalized, but Sourav Ganguly dramatically snatched the post at the very last moment. Jay Shah took over as secretary in his team.
He became the board president only by promising to join the BJP before the 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, almost all the front-line media in India wrote at that time.
Cricket official Biswaroop Dey, who has held many positions on the board for a long time, told BBC Bengal that for the past three decades, politics has completely controlled the Indian cricket board.
In the words of Biswaroop Dey, “It may have been a little bit earlier, but since Sharad Pawar became the board president, 100% control of the board has gone to the hands of political parties.”
“Pawar had nothing to do with cricket, but it took BJP, Congress, CPM – all parties to make him president!
“Today CPM talks big, their top leaders also bet their Tripura votes to Sharad Pawar. Sonia Gandhi said that Pawar should get the votes of all Congress-ruled states,” said Mr. give
Since then, this tradition of political control of Indian boards has continued, and when the party in power at the center, its ‘nominees’ have turned the tables.
As a result, Vishwarup De wants to see the departure of Sourav Ganguli from the board as part of the ups and downs of politics.
“See, when he became the CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) president, within seventy-two hours of Jagmohan Dalmiya’s death, he convinced Mamata Banerjee to go to Nabanna. That was politics too, wasn’t it?”
Mr. Dey said, “The name of the CAB president is being announced from Navanna, this thing has never happened before. If Narendra Modi announces the name of the BCCI president, then what will happen – that too.”
Therefore, he is not willing to accept Sourav Ganguli as a “victim” or “victim” of politics.
“He has done politics knowingly. Who knows that in politics there are roses and thorns – he wore a garland of roses a couple of times before, but this time he had to take a thorn, that’s how I see it,” said the veteran cricket official.
Sourav Ganguly himself has not yet commented on the entire controversy, nor has he written anything on social media.
However, according to sources close to him, he was offered the IPL chairmanship instead of the presidency – which he turned down.
