Sourav Ganguly: A day after cricket star Sourav Ganguly was named Tripura tourism brand ambassador, the BJP attempted to portray the appointment as a “righting of a wrong” against a son of the soil, while the TMC described it as “normal practise” and begged the saffron party not to politicise the pick.
Sourav Ganguly Denied Recognition in Bengal
The West Bengal BJP unit said that the former Indian captain was not given his due in Bengal under TMC administration and asked that he be appointed as Sheriff of Kolkata. “The TMC-led West Bengal government never gave Sourav Ganguly his due respect…the BJP-led Tripura government made him their brand ambassador,” said BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar. The BJP MP further asked that the former Indian captain be “made the Sheriff of the capital.” BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh echoed him, saying the TMC cried “crocodile tears” when Roger Binny replaced him as BCCI president last year, but had not given Ganguly his due.
TMC Ignores Bengali Sentiments Despite Sourav Ganguly’s Presence
“When you have a legend like Sourav Ganguly in your state, why do you need someone else as the state’s brand ambassador?” (Shahrukh Khan is Bengal’s brand ambassador). “However, the TMC never cared to address the emotions of Bengalis in the state,” Ghosh remarked. When cricketer Roger Binny took over as BCCI president last year, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee expressed surprise at Ganguly’s “removal.” The TMC said it was the result of a “political vengeance” and accused the BJP of “seeking to humiliate” the former Indian captain by refusing to admit him to the party. In response to the BJP’s claims, the TMC advised the saffron camp not to politicise a common practise.
A Potential Political Face for BJP’s Challenge in West Bengal
Ganguly was once rumoured to be the person the BJP wanted to hire to lead the party’s West Bengal unit, as the party sought a face to challenge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charm. However, the renowned cricketer has so far avoided politics. On May 16, the West Bengal government decided to raise Sourav Ganguly’s security cover to Z category. The decision was made following the expiration of Ganguly’s tenure of Y category security.
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