A political report linking Sourav Ganguly to an alleged Trinamool Congress plan involving Mamata Banerjee and Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan has triggered a fresh controversy in West Bengal. The claims, published by a Bengali daily, quickly fuelled speculation about Mamata's possible route to Parliament and the role former cricketers may have played behind the scenes.
The controversy gathered pace because it came amid ongoing discussions about Mamata's political future following the Bengal Assembly election setback in which she lost her seat to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. However, Ganguly has now firmly rejected the claims, describing them as entirely untrue and made in "reckless disregard of the truth".
What sparked the controversy?
The row stems from a report published in a Bengali newspaper that discussed possible options for Mamata Banerjee's political comeback.
According to the report, the Trinamool Congress was considering the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district as a possible seat from which Mamata could enter Parliament through a by-election.
The constituency is currently represented by former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who won the seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by defeating veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The report claimed the TMC viewed Baharampur as a favourable constituency because Muslims, considered a key support base for the party, make up around 50 to 52 per cent of the local population.
It further alleged that the party sought Ganguly's help in conveying a message to Pathan and persuading him to vacate the seat so that Mamata could contest a future bypoll.
The report also claimed that Pathan ultimately declined the alleged proposal.
The speculation attracted additional attention because it emerged at a time when discussions were already underway regarding possible dissatisfaction within the TMC's parliamentary ranks. Sources told India Today TV that 23 TMC MPs were in touch with a rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
Sourav Ganguly rejects report
As the claims generated widespread political discussion, Ganguly issued a detailed statement on Saturday denying any involvement.
The former India captain and ex-BCCI president described the allegations concerning him as "completely false" and urged media organisations to verify information before publishing reports of this nature.
"The allegations in the article, insofar as they concern me, are in reckless disregard of the truth," Ganguly said.
He also clarified that Mamata Banerjee never asked him to pass on any message to Yusuf Pathan and insisted that he had no role in any such 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," he added.
Ganguly further reiterated that he has never involved himself in political matters.
The controversy comes just ahead of Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's scheduled visit to Delhi on June 8, where they are expected to attend the INDIA bloc meeting and engage with party MPs amid reports of internal discontent within the Trinamool Congress.
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