Sourav Ganguly's replacement at BCCI leaves Mamata Banerjee furious
The news of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly soon getting replaced as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has left West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee furious. Terming his replacement as "unfair," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo on Monday also appealed to PM Narendra Modi to allow Ganguly to contest for the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairperson post.
Why does this story matter?
- Sourav Ganguly's term as the BCCI president will officially end on Tuesday as former Indian cricketer Roger Binny is set to replace him at the BCCI's Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.
- Claiming Ganguly was "deprived" of his post, Banerjee has appealed to PM Modi to send him to the ICC and also engaged in a war of words with the BJP over the matter.
Banerjee urges Modi to let Ganguly run for ICC post
Banerjee has requested PM Modi not to deal with the case of Ganguly's BCCI exit politically or vindictively. She urged him to make a decision keeping the future of sports in mind as Ganguly contributed a lot to the country. Banerjee appealed to the prime minister to let Ganguly run for the ICC top post, the nominations for which will be filed on Thursday.
BJP accuses Banerjee of politicizing issue
To contest for the ICC chairman post, Ganguly must be recommended for the same by the BCCI, but reports suggest he doesn't have the required support. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked Banerjee for allegedly politicizing the matter. BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya questioned her why she had appointed actor Shah Rukh Khan as Bengal's brand ambassador if she loved Ganguly so much.
Who will replace Ganguly?
Following a recent meeting of BCCI stalwarts in Delhi, it was decided that Ganguly will no longer continue as the board's president. He will reportedly be replaced by Binny, who earlier filed his nomination for the post. Elections for various BCCI posts are scheduled for Tuesday. Part of India's 1983 World Cup-winning team, Binny is currently the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
The expected new office bearers
Reportedly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah, will continue as the BCCI Secretary, while BJP MLA Ashish Shelar is likely to replace Arun Dhumal as the treasurer. Rajeev Shukla—the only Congress member in the BCCI cabinet—is expected to retain his vice-president post. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's aide Devajit Saikia is set to take over as the joint secretary, replacing Jayesh George.
