The report, citing sources, mentioned that the TMC was eyeing the Baharampur seat in Murshidabad district. Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan emerged as a giant killer by winning the seat in 2024 against veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The TMC considered it to be a safe seat for Mamata as Muslims, the party’s key vote base, account for 50-52% of the population in Baharampur.
The report said the party approached Ganguly to convey Mamata’s message to Pathan and urge him to vacate the Baharampur seat so that she could contest the ensuing by-election.
Sourav and Yusuf played together as teammates for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, albeit for a brief period. The report further claimed that Pathan had declined the alleged proposal.
The report also came at a crucial time amid buzz that a rebellion was brewing in the Trinamool’s parliamentary wing. Sources have told India Today TV that 23 TMC MPs were in touch with the .
As the report generated a massive political buzz in Bengal, Ganguly on Saturday issued a detailed statement, rejecting the claims as “completely false”.
The former BCCI president clarified that he has never been involved in political matters, and urged media organisations to verify facts before publishing such sensational reports.
“The allegations in the article, insofar as they concern me, are in reckless disregard of the truth,” Ganguly said. He further stated that he was never requested by Mamata to convey any message from her to Yusuf Pathan. He also denied ever contacting Pathan on the issue.
“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 further said.
