Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief, is reportedly weighing a return to Parliament after nearly two decades through a by-election. She has already reshuffled the organisation to try and steady it, but her alleged search for a seat has pulled in an unlikely name: Sourav Ganguly.
The former Indian cricket captain, who has cult hero status in Bengal, issued a clarification saying he is not a player in this game. Mamata's moves are aimed at steadying the party amid a widening rebellion, partly centred against her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
The party has rebuilt the state unit around her loyalists, while rebalancing Abhishek's powers. However, the scale of the revolt is evident in the numbers, as 58 rebel TMC MLAs have been recognised as the principal opposition in the 294-member House.
Mamata's own standing may depend on having a seat, given the dwindling numbers. A Lok Sabha by-election is one route back for her, and a prominent Bengali newspaper reported that Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan may be asked to step down for her.
Ganguly's name came in as Anandabazar Patrika reported that he had been asked to carry Mamata's message to Pathan, urging him to quit. However, Ganguly issued a signed statement denying the reports and asked the media not to run such claims without checking them.
