In numbers game,Ganguly struggles

The complex Maidan electorate comprises 121 votes,and despite his stature in world cricket,Ganguly has absolutely no standing at all when it comes to choosing between him and current CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The 121-vote pie comprises votes from 37 first-division clubs,54 second-division,18 district units,8 universities and a vote from the West Bengal Office Sports Federation. Now,as things stand,the Ganguly faction in the Maidan holds sway over 35 to 40 voting units,while the Dalmiya camp has the confidence of the majority of the pie. This analysis comes straight from an influential high-up in the CAB administration. “There is no way that Ganguly’s vote share will go beyond the 40-mark if he contests this year,which is a hypothetical assessment. That’s the final answer,and the result simply can’t be any different. At this stage,Dalmiya will be a clear winner if they take each other on in the polls this month-end,” the reliable source told The Indian Express.

Seasoned Maidan analysts agree that the key difference between Dalmiya and Ganguly for the average voter is presence and influence at the grass-root level. And this is exactly where Dalmiya is way ahead of the former Indian captain.

But another Maidan veteran and a current CAB functionary thinks differently,although he has been battling against the Ganguly faction. “This time,we have a situation where Sourav himself is in contention. So,equations with voters can change a lot if Sourav himself comes to the fore to contest against Dalmiya. But having said that,Prasun Mukherjee eventually had to go because he never belonged to the Maidan. The same may happen with Sourav if he fails to connect with the Maidan clubs. This is where Dalmiya will always hold an edge over Sourav,” he opined.

Switching over to some other state body?
The harder it appears for Ganguly to find his way into the CAB,the more a new theory is picking up pace — that he may after all switch over to some other state association and represent it at the BCCI,and bypass the CAB and the tough-to-face Dalmiya regime here.

Some Maidan veterans believe that it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Ganguly someday mulls over switching over to some other state body. In theory,if Ganguly leaves Bengal and represents,say Tripura,at the BCCI,then he would naturally be bypassing Dalmiya & Co and the CAB as a whole. Such a move would eliminate the hurdle of a difficult entry into the CAB.