Pictures by Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency.
Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: Did former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly ask Yusuf Pathan—an MP from the Trinamool Congress (AITC)—to resign at the behest of party supremo Mamata Banerjee? Sourav broke his silence after media reports regarding this matter surfaced. In a statement, he said, "There is absolutely no truth to the claims made about me in these reports. I feel it is necessary to clarify that Mamata Banerjee never asked me to convey any message to Yusuf regarding his resignation, nor did I approach Yusuf with any such message. Furthermore, I have never been involved in any political activities in my life."
Sourav upset over rumors involving him
Sourav added, "The facts should have been verified before publishing such reports. Reports should not be published based merely on rumors. It is extremely unfortunate that my name has been dragged into this story without verifying the actual facts."
Does Mamata want to become an MP?
Having lost in the last assembly elections (2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections), Mamata is currently not an elected representative; she holds neither the position of MP nor MLA, nor does she occupy any constitutional office. Amidst this, there is talk that Mamata intends to enter the Lok Sabha by contesting a by-election from the Baharampur constituency, after asking the sitting MP, Yusuf Pathan, to resign. The majority of voters in the Baharampur constituency are Muslim; consequently, Mamata is optimistic about winning if she contests from there. It is rumored that this is the reason she wishes to run for office from Baharampur. Speculation has arisen that Sourav acted as Mamata's emissary in this matter. Sourav shared a good rapport with Mamata during her tenure as Chief Minister, which is why the publication of these reports has sparked fresh controversy.