In a dramatic turn of events, former captain Sourav Ganguly emerged as consensus candidate to be BCCI’s new President after Brijesh Patel appeared to have grabbed the coveted post. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah will be the new secretary while Arun Dhumal will be the new treasurer.
Dhumal is younger brother of MoS Finance and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur. Monday is the last day to file nomination but no election will be held since all candidates have emerged unopposed after weeks of lobbying and hectic parleys. The 47-year-old Ganguly, who is currently the president of Cricket Association of Bengal, (CAB) will have to demit his post in September, 2020 as he will go into compulsory cooling off period.
Ganguly, one of the finest Indian captains, will turn a new leaf albeit for 10 months even as a new chapter starts in Indian cricket.Typically like his administrative guru Jagmohan Dalmiya, Ganguly pulled a match that looked all but lost till he pulled it off at the last moment. Brijesh, backed by Tail Nadu strongman N Srinivasan, emerged Presidential candidate when Ganguly remained non-committal on campaigning for the BJP in the 2021 state assembly elections. However, when most of the state units opposed the ‘understanding’, things changed dramatically.
“Yes, Brijesh was running for the President’s post with N Srinivasan actively lobbying for him. However, there was stiff resistance against him. We are happy Sourav is the new President,” a senior official from North East affiliated unit, told. The choice for President’s post was always between Ganguly and Patel and the former was finally accepted as an unanimous candidate. Patel could become IPL chairman.
When the new office bearers assume office, it will end a 33-month term of the Committee of Administrators, which called shots in running the cricket affairs in country post Lodha Committee reforms. Former India coach Anhsuman Gaekwad beat Kirti Azad to be elected as male ICA representative on BCCI’s nine-member Apex Council. Shanta Rangaswamy was earlier elected unopposed as female ICA representative.
