‘Not To Fall Prey To Rumors’: Sourav Ganguly Rubbishes Rumors of Brokering Mamata Banerjee’s Lok Sabha Entry

Following a stunning electoral defeat in the Bengal polls, where she lost her own seat to arch-rival Suvendu Adhikari, whispers have been growing louder that Mamata Banerjee might look to enter Parliament via a by-election. The political rumor mill went into overdrive after a report in a prominent Bengali daily claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) reached out to former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly. The alleged plan? To have Ganguly convince ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan to step down as the Baharampur MP, clearing a path for Mamata to contest the seat.

However, Ganguly has forcefully shut down these sensational claims, blasting them for showing a "reckless disregard of the truth."

Inside the Sourav-Yusuf-Mamata Controversy

The explosive media report suggested that Mamata Banerjee was eyeing the Lok Sabha route to stay politically relevant and orchestrate a major comeback. According to the report's sources, the TMC targeted the Baharampur constituency in the Murshidabad district. Yusuf Pathan had recently turned into a giant-killer there, seizing the seat in 2024 from veteran Congress stalwart Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Why Baharampur? The TMC reportedly viewed it as a bulletproof seat for the West Bengal Chief Minister, given that Muslims make up 50% to 52% of the local population and form a crucial part of the party's voter base.

The Bengali daily alleged that TMC leadership asked Ganguly to leverage his relationship with Pathan, his former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate in the IPL, to pitch the resignation idea. The article went on to claim that Pathan flatly rejected the proposal.

Adding fuel to the fire, these rumors emerged just as reports surfaced of a brewing rebellion within the Trinamool’s parliamentary ranks. Sources told India Today TV that 23 TMC MPs have been in active contact with a rebel camp headed by Ritabrata Banerjee.

"Completely False": Ganguly Sets the Record Straight

As the speculation triggered massive political waves across Bengal, Ganguly released a comprehensive statement on Saturday to debunk the narrative entirely. The former BCCI President reiterated that he stays far away from political dealings and urged media outlets to double-check their facts before running such high-stakes stories.

"The allegations in the article, insofar as they concern me, are in reckless disregard of the truth," Ganguly stated clearly.

He emphasized that Mamata Banerjee never asked him to pass any message to Yusuf Pathan, nor did he ever initiate such a conversation.

"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 added.

This swift clarification comes at a high-pressure moment for the TMC hierarchy. Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, are scheduled to arrive in Delhi on June 8 to attend an INDIA bloc meeting and work on placating their restless MPs.
 

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