Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament and ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan on Saturday strongly rejected reports suggesting that former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked him to vacate his Berhampore Lok Sabha seat to allow her to contest a by-election there.
Issuing a statement on video, the former cricketer-turned-politician said the stories about his resignation are “completely false”. He added that neither Mamata Banerjee nor any Trinamool Congress leader had approached him about giving up his parliamentary seat.
“For quite some time now, a piece of news has been going viral claiming that Mamata Banerjee asked me to resign from my MP seat, Berhampore Lok Sabha constituency, so that she could contest the election from there. Mamata Banerjee never spoke to me about this matter. This claim is completely false. So, neither Mamata Banerjee nor any party leader has asked me to resign from my MP seat,” Pathan said.
Sourav Ganguly Denies Reports
The issue erupted after a June 4 front‑page report in a leading Bengali daily said Sourav Ganguly had met Yusuf Pathan carrying a message from Mamata Banerjee asking Pathan to give up the Berhampore Lok Sabha seat so she could contest the by-election. “It was alleged that I had contacted Mr Yusuf Pathan on behalf of Mamata Banerjee, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal and had carried her message that he should step down/resign from his Constitutional post as the elected representative of the aforesaid constituency in order to enable Ms Banerjee to contest the ensuing by-elections from the said constituency. The aforesaid allegations are untrue. I would request the media not to fall prey to rumours and speculations,” Ganguly said, rejecting the claim.
Speculation Rife On Mamata’s Next Move
After TMC’s poor showing in the Assembly polls, speculation about Mamata Banerjee’s next move has grown, including talk she might seek a Lok Sabha berth via by-election. Berhampore — held by Yusuf Pathan — was cited among possible seats. Pathan’s categorical denial that he will resign makes an immediate vacancy for Banerjee unlikely. Pathan had won the Berhampore seat for the Trinamool Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defeating the long-standing Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
