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Calcutta: BCCI President and former Indian cricket team Sourav Ganguly sparked much speculation in West Bengal, meeting with Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.
Often on the warpath with the state government led by Mamata Banerjee, the Raj Bhavan under Dhankhar is described by the Trinamool Congress as the “state office of the BJP”. BJP leaders, meanwhile, admit that they have tried many times to recruit Ganguly, but have never succeeded.
However, Ganguly said it was just a “courtesy call.” Even the BJP denied that Sunday’s meeting had political overtones.
I had interaction with ‘Dada’ @ SGanguly99 President @BCCI at Raj Bhawan today at 4.30pm on various topics.
He accepted his offer to visit Eden Gardens, the oldest cricket ground in the country established in 1864. pic.twitter.com/tB3Rtb4ZD6
– Governor of West Bengal, Jagdeep Dhankhar (@ jdhankhar1) December 27, 2020
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ganguly said that he had visited the Raj Bhavan at the invitation of Dhankhar. “I had never been to Raj Bhavan. He took office almost a year ago, but has not visited Eden Gardens either. So he wanted to talk, and if the state governor called, I had to go, “he added. “We only talked about games, there was no other discussion. He wants to visit Eden Gardens, which we will arrange. “
Stating that the visit was a “courtesy call”, the BJP National Secretary General Kailash Vijayvargiya added that a formal meeting between the governor of a state and a national icon should not be viewed as a “political development”. “None of them are political. It is a courtesy visit, ”he added.
The visit comes months before a crucial assembly election in which the BJP seeks to achieve its first victory in the state. While even the Trinamool Congress has denied that Sunday’s meeting likely had any political significance, political analysts said the timing suggested otherwise.
Read also: Why Mamata and BJP are fighting for this little-known minority Bengal community
‘The timing’
For several years now, there has been speculation about Ganguly’s possible association with the BJP, but it is believed that he has “not shown much interest” in joining politics.
Several top and core BJP leaders have met with Ganguly, but he has never been forthcoming and has cited professional assignments and occupational issues, a senior BJP leader told ThePrint.
Analysts, however, note that Ganguly’s visit to Raj Bhavan comes nearly 17 months after the governor took office and four months before the elections.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of Sourav Ganguly joining the BJP. There has been an effort by the BJP leaders to incorporate Dada as an acclaimed Bengali face, ”said Professor Biswanath Chakraborti, a political analyst from Kolkata.
“In addition, there are cases that indicate their alignment. He is considered close to (Interior Minister) Amit Shah (whose son is secretary of the BCCI). During PM Modi’s speech to Durga Puja, his wife Dona Ganguly (a prominent Odissi dancer) performed on the show, ”he added.
The timing of the meeting triggers speculation, said Professor Partha Pratim Biswas, another analyst. “The Trinamool calls Raj Bhavan the state headquarters of the BJP. In fact, the governor is not seen here as apolitical. If Ganguly had to pay a courtesy call, why didn’t he do that in so many months? Because right now?”
The Trinamool Congress, however, stated that it was confident that Ganguly will not join the BJP. Sourav Ganguly is a Bengali icon. Today he met with the governor. We don’t expect any political discussion there, ”said Trinamool MP Saugata Roy.
“We know that there has been an attempt to turn the draft into the pick as a ‘Didi vs Dada’ fight, but we believe Sourav Ganguly is wise enough not to fall into the trap set by the BJP. It’s just a matter of optics, “he added.
Read also: Why Mamata and BJP are fighting for this little-known minority Bengal community
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