Is Sourav Ganguly going to begin his political innings with BJP?

Speculations are on the rise that former Indian cricket team captain and the flashy left handed batsman Sourav Ganguly aka Dada might soon be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. One of the most successful Indian captains of all times, Sourav might soon be joining the BJP to begin his political career. After the unfortunate demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 16^th August, Sourav Ganguly had put out a tweet paying homage to the former PM from his official Twitter handle. The tweet which read, “Bharat loses its gleaming Ratna…An amazing soul .. may his soul rest in peace”, hinted towards the admiration he had for the former PM and for his abilities. As far as joining politics is concerned BJP seems to be the one option which would be the most beneficial for both Sourav Ganguly and the political party. Any political party would have loved to welcome Sourav Ganguly in its fold, considering the mass following he enjoys not just in West Bengal but in the entire the country.

Keeping his popularity and acceptance in the state in mind the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had extended him the offer to join its ranks in 2006. CPM was in power in the state at the time in West Bengal and it had therefore extended the offer to Sourav Ganguly to join CPM while Dada was still playing international cricket. Dada reportedly had denied the offer to join CPM politely only to be approached next by CPMs competition in West Bengal, TMC. Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress had then requested Dada countless times to join its ranks over a period of many years. Joining the TMC was reportedly not an option for Dada considering the fact that he would have to play second lead in the party which is dominated by Mamata. There is also an added disadvantage of having to play yes-man to Mamata Banerjee whenever someone chooses to join TMC; Dada is known to be too proud to play that role. Also there could be chances of friction between Sourav Ganguly with Abhishek Banerjee who is seen as the successor to Mamata Banerjee in the party. As told to Swarajya by a source close to Ganguly, “He (Sourav) is too much of his own man to be a second or third-rung politician in the Trinamool. His captaincy (of the Indian team) is proof enough of the fact that he likes to lead from the front and be the undisputed leader of the team. That would not have been possible in the Trinamool.” The source also went on to cite the various reasons due to which Sourav is likely to join the BJP today. According to rumours Sourav had turned down the offer to join BJP prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a business associate and friend of Sourav said, “After having been a star, he obviously did not want to lose his eminence by joining a party with little electoral prospects. It was a no-win situation for him.”

No such problems will arise if Sourav chooses to join BJP for his political debut today; he could easily become the face of the party in West Bengal. Presently, BJP also lacks a proper leader figure in the state. Sourav’s addition to the party will fill the void in the state wing of the party. Therefore, Sourav joining BJP prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections would be a win-win situation for both, BJP would get a face in the state and a star campaigner while Dada gets the liberty to pursue his style of politics with the backing of the BJP. The liberty of choosing his team in the state will also be provided to him, a luxury which would not be available to him in either TMC or the CPM. Dada also could be projected as the CM candidate for the 2021 state elections from BJP, if the situation demands so. BJPs increased presence in the state and a definite increase in its vote share has removed the final obstacle between him and joining the party. With the prospects of BJP on the rise, Dada would definitely be motivated to join the team. His leadership and administration skills have been known to all till date, by joining politics Dada will get the chance to once again lead from the front and fulfil his dream of developing his state.