Former India cricket team captain Saurav Ganguly today said that being chosen for the position of the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not involve any mainstream political deal or understanding.
“That is the truth,” he said in an interview with a Bengali television channel, in Mumbai. He said that even when he had a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah, no political matters were discussed. Answering a question, Ganguly said that there had been no understanding that if he became BCCI chief he would have to carry out some political role.
“It is the same” when it comes to Didi or Amit Shah, said Ganguly, that a top political leader would want the best people to be part of their work. “But that is a different matter and I am not involved in politics. There is no understanding that being chosen as BCCI president will entail some political role,” Ganguly clarified. He said that till 10.30 pm on Sunday, he himself was not aware that he would be asked to take up the top job, and had in fact congratulated Brijesh Patel as he was expected to be the next BCCI chief.
Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah – rumoured to be the prime mover behind Saurav Ganguly been offered the position of the BCCI chief – told a TV channel that he had played no role in choosing Saurav. “I do not decide who will be the BCCI president. The BCCI has its own election process. I did not have any deal or meeting with Ganguly about this,” Shah said. Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, former Gujarat Cricket Association joint secretary, will be the BCCI secretary and Arun Dhumal, brother of Union minister Anurag Thakur will be the treasurer of the cricket body.
Asked if Saurav will be the face of BJP in 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, Shah said that wrong things were being said about Ganguly. Moreover, there was no need for a face for the BJP in Bengal, he said. “We won 18 seats without a face,” Shah stated.
Shah and Ganguly had a meeting last year. But he ruled out that it was relating to these issues. “They can come and meet me. I have been associated with cricket for many years. There is no problem in meeting Saurav Ganguly.”
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