Ganguly has strongly denied a report that suggested he was asked by Mamata Banerjee to approach Yusuf Pathan and request that he vacate the Baharampur seat for her possible entry into Parliament through a by-election.
Published: June 6, 2026, 8:26 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/news/india/did-sourav-ganguly-ask-yusuf-pathan-to-let-baharampur-seat-go-for-mamata-banerjee-here-what-he-said-tmc-west-bengal-8438653/
Sourav Ganguly (left) and Mamata Banerjee (right). PTI
A report published in a Bengali newspaper has triggered a political storm in West Bengal after claiming that Sourav Ganguly was connected to an alleged Trinamool Congress strategy involving Mamata Banerjee and Yusuf Pathan. The claims quickly led to speculation over Mamata’s potential path to Parliament and the involvement of former cricket stars behind the scenes.
The claims quickly sparked debate as discussions about Mamata Banerjee’s next political move were already underway after her Assembly election loss to Suvendu Adhikari. Ganguly has since dismissed the report outright, describing the allegations as unfounded.
What led to the controversy?
The row began after a Bengali newspaper published a report discussing potential options for Mamata Banerjee’s return to electoral politics.
As per the report, the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad had emerged as one of the options being considered by the Trinamool Congress for Mamata Banerjee’s entry into Parliament via a bypoll.
Baharampur is represented by Yusuf Pathan, who won the constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after defeating Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. According to the report, the TMC viewed the seat as electorally advantageous due to its sizeable Muslim population, estimated at around 50 to 52 per cent.
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.
What did Sourav Ganguly have to say?
With the claims gaining traction in political circles, Ganguly released a detailed statement on Saturday rejecting the allegations and distancing himself from the controversy.
Dismissing the claims as entirely baseless, the former India skipper and former BCCI chief urged media organisations to exercise greater caution and verify information before reporting it. “The allegations in the article, insofar as they concern me, are in reckless disregard of the truth,” Ganguly said.
Rejecting the allegations, Ganguly said Mamata Banerjee never requested him to contact Yusuf Pathan on her behalf. He added that he had never spoken to or reached out to Pathan, and therefore, the version of events described in the report could not be true. He also reiterated that he has always stayed away from politics.
The row comes ahead of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee’s planned trip to Delhi on June 8, where they are likely to participate in the INDIA bloc meeting and hold discussions with party MPs against the backdrop of reported internal dissatisfaction within the TMC.
