The decision by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Tripura to appoint former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly as the brand ambassador for the northeastern State has triggered a political row with the BJP and Trinamool Congress engaging in a slanging match.
Leaders of the West Bengal BJP on Monday hailed the decision of the Tripura Government and emphasised that it fixed a mistake made by the Trinamool Congress Government.
“The West Bengal Government never gave Sourav Ganguly his due whereas the BJP-led Tripura Government made him their brand ambassador,” Sukanta Majumdar, West Bengal BJP president said.
In October 2022 the Trinamool Congress leadership including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cried foul when Mr. Ganguly was denied a second term as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Ms. Banerjee had made public appeals to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant Sourav Ganguly a second term as BCCI president.
Referring to the developments in October last year, BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh said that Trinamool leadership had shed “crocodile tears” when Roger Binny replaced Saurav Ganguly as the BCCI president but never got his due.
“When you have people like Sourav Ganguly in your State, why do you need someone else as the State’s brand ambassador,” Mr. Ghosh said, pointing out that Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan is the State’s brand ambassador.
The Trinamool Congress leadership said that the BJP was deliberately trying to politicise the issue. “It is a normal practice to appoint film stars and cricketers as brand ambassadors. Tripura has done nothing out of the box. The BJP is deliberately trying to politicize the issue,” Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said.
Mr. Roy said that everyone was aware of how Sourav Ganguly was humiliated by the BJP during the BCCI episode last year.
Mr. Ganguly is known to be on good terms with Mamata Banerjee and is often seen at various events organised by the State Government. Recently the West Bengal Government upgraded the security cover of Mr. Ganguly from Y to Z category.
Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, there was speculation about Mr. Ganguly joining the BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had met the former cricketer at his Kolkata residence. Mr. Ganguly, however, did join the BJP. According to sources, the former cricketer waited for a few days on the proposal of the Tripura Government to make him the State’s brand ambassador.
