Sourav Ganguly denies reports claiming he acted as a mediator between Mamata Banerjee and Yusuf Pathan over a possible Lok Sabha seat vacancy.
Kolkata: Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly has rejected reports claiming that he acted as an intermediary between Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Yusuf Pathan regarding the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat.
In a signed statement issued on June 6, Ganguly said reports suggesting he conveyed a message from Banerjee asking Pathan to resign were completely false. He stated that he had never been requested by Banerjee to pass on any such message and had never contacted Pathan regarding the matter.
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The controversy stemmed from a report published by Anandabazar Patrika on June 4, which speculated about Banerjee's possible return to electoral politics through a by-election. According to the report, Ganguly was allegedly approached to communicate with Pathan about vacating his parliamentary seat.
Dismissing the claims, Ganguly said the allegations were made in "reckless disregard of the truth". He added that because no such communication ever took place, reports claiming Pathan had responded to the request were also baseless.
Ganguly further stressed that he has never been involved in political matters and urged media organisations to verify facts before publishing speculative reports.
Neither Pathan nor the Trinamool Congress has officially commented on the matter.
Pathan, a member of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad, won the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general election by defeating senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by around 85,000 votes. During their cricket careers, Pathan and Ganguly also played together for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
The speculation comes at a difficult time for the Trinamool Congress following its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. After ruling the state for 15 years, the party was reduced to 80 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while Banerjee lost her own constituency to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
The party is also facing a major internal rebellion. Reports indicate that 58 of its 80 MLAs have revolted, while the Assembly Speaker recognised expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition, a decision the TMC has said it will challenge in court.
The crisis became more visible when only eight non-rebel MLAs reportedly attended a meeting called by Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata, highlighting the growing challenges facing the party after its electoral setback.
Published: 06 Jun 2026, 09:59 pm IST
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