No Deal For BCCI Post, Sourav Ganguly Is Welcome To Join BJP: Amit Shah

Interim BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday dismissed reports that he made a deal with former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who is set to become the new BCCI president. Shah said that he didn’t interfered in the BCCI chief’s election and the board has its own process. However, Shah’s son Jay Shah was surprisingly made the new BCCI secretary. "There has not been any deal with Sourav Ganguly…. I did not decide who will be BCCI President. BCCI has its own election process for it," Shah said during an interview with India Today’s Rahul Kanwal.

Ganguly had met Shah on Saturday and there were speculations that he made a deal with him. According to sources, the deal was that Amit Shah will back Ganguly for the BCCI chief’s post and in return the former Indian skipper will be BJP’s face in 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections against Mamata Banerjee. When asked about the meeting, Shah said, "He can come see me. I have been associated with cricket for years. There is no harm in Sourav Ganguly meeting me."

New BJP President By December: Amit Shah

Amit Shah that he will make way for a new leader to head the saffron party when its organisational elections are over by the end of this year. Shah, who is also the Union home minister, said a new party president is expected to take charge by December.

Also Read | Sourav Ganguly As BCCI President: How Will His Equation With Head Coach Ravi Shastri Be?

Shah rejected the notion that he will remain the “super power” running the party from behind the scene, saying similar claims were made when he took over as the BJP chief in 2014 and once his replacement starts running the organisation such speculation will be put to rest.

"This (BJP) is not the Congress party and nobody can run it from behind the scene….. Elections (organisational) are going on. A new president will assume responsibility by December and take charge of the party’s affairs," he said in his first comments on the matter.