Hours after Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced Yusuf Pathan as its Lok Sabha candidate from West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury's stronghold Baharampur on Sunday, the latter hit out at the Mamata Banerjee-led party saying the former cricketer has been fielded to help the BJP. Claiming that Banerjee has "sent a message to PM Modi" with this move, Chowdhury said: "In West Bengal, he (Pathan) is selected as a candidate to polarise the common man and to help the BJP, so that Congress can be defeated. Mamata Banerjee has proven today that none of the political parties of India should trust a leader like her. Mamata Banerjee is in fear that if she continues to be in the INDIA alliance, PM Modi will be unhappy. By separating herself from the INDIA alliance, she has sent a message to the PMO, don't be unhappy with me, I am not standing to fight against the BJP." #WATCH | Murshidabad, West Bengal: Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury says, "If TMC wanted to honour Yusuf Pathan, they should've sent him to the Rajya Sabha instead of sending 'outsiders'. If Mamata Banerjee had good intentions for Yusuf Pathan, she would have… pic.twitter.com/hbV3D42aTo — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2024 Chowdhury also said that Pathan should have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha or given a seat in Gujarat through the INDIA bloc. "If TMC wanted to honour Yusuf Pathan, they should've sent him to the Rajya Sabha instead of sending 'outsiders'. If Mamata Banerjee had good intentions for Yusuf Pathan, she would have asked alliance (INDIA alliance) for a seat for him (Yusuf Pathan) in Gujarat," he added. The TMC's list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal featured some new faces. One of the major surprises was former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan being named as the TMC candidate from Bahrampur. Chief Minister Banerjee made the announcement on Sunday, pitting him against Chowdhury in his (Chowdhury's) bastion. Bengal's #JonogorjonSabha reaffirms the faith of people in the leadership of Smt. @MamataOfficial!@iamyusufpathan from Berhampore, shall stand with the people of Bengal and win the mandate against the jomidari of @BJP4India! pic.twitter.com/XHeicr6B8b — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 10, 2024 Soon, Pathan took to X to acknowledge his nomination. He expressed his gratitude to the CM for trusting him "with the responsibility to become people's voice in the Parliament." "As representatives of the people, it is our duty to uplift the poor and deprived, and that is what I hope to achieve," he said on Sunday. I'm eternally grateful to Smt. @MamataOfficial for welcoming me into the TMC family and trusting me with the responsibility to become people's voice in the Parliament. As representatives of the people, it is our duty to uplift the poor and deprived, and that is what I hope to… pic.twitter.com/rFM5aYyrDg — Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) March 10, 2024 Yusuf’s younger brother Irfan Pathan, also a former cricketer, took to X to wish him. “Your patience, kindness, help to the needy, and service to people even without an official position can be easily noticed. I am confident that once you step into a political role, you will truly make a difference in the daily lives of people.” he said. Your patience, kindness, help to the needy and service to people even without an official position can be easily noticed. I am confident that once you step into a political role, you will truly make a difference in the daily lives of people @iamyusufpathan — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 10, 2024 Yusuf Pathan now becomes the third player from the 2011 World Cup-winning team to join politics. He announced his retirement from all formats of cricket in 2021. Pathan’s teammates from the 2011 World Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh have also joined politics.
