Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah will soon be serving at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the secretary. He will be part of former India skipper, Sourav Ganguly’s team, who will take over as the new president. Jay is no stranger to Indian cricket as he was the joint-secretary at Gujarat Cricket Association, with father Amit Shah as the president of the body. The father-son duo stepped down from their respective positions in the GCA earlier this year, along with vice-president Parimal Nathwani.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, son of former Home Minister P Chidambaram, has taken a dig at the new BCCI appointments. His Twitter post read: “What if I had been “elected” as @BCCI Secretary during UPA when my father was @HMOIndia, how would the “Nationalists” n Bhakts have reacted? #JustAsking.”
What if I had been “elected” as @BCCI Secretary during UPA when my father was @HMOIndia, how would the “Nationalists” n Bhakts have reacted? #JustAsking https://t.co/EIYkEU43sO
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) October 14, 2019
Shah isn’t the only new BCCI official to have connections with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Arun Dhumal, brother of former BCCI President and Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, is set to take up the role of treasurer.
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One twitter user questioned Karti Chidambaram’s views. Indian cricket administration has seen representatives from different political parties over the years, including the Indian National Congress.
Sharad Pawar the great all-rounder was till recently president of Mumbai Cricket Association. Lalu Yadav was BCA president. Congress MP Rajiv Shukla's BCCI/UPCA Stint. CP Joshi in Rajasthan and Jyotiraditya Scindia heading MPCA, and recently Gehlot too. Experience in cricket?
— amdnk (@amodnaik2) October 14, 2019
There were other who questioned him over his involvement with Tamil Nadu Tennis Association as he had earlier served as the vice-president All India Tennis Association. He continues to be President of the Tenpin Bowling Federation of India and Chief Patron of the All India Karate-Do Federation.
Rings a bell – https://t.co/ZXRdNxRf2u
— Rajesh Varadharajan (@rajesh_v_rajan) October 14, 2019
But you are/were heading Tennis Assocn or some such in TN,Gehlot's son heads RCA; btw during UPA time the dads,Sharad,Farooq,Lalu, Vilasrao were heading Cricket Assocns; Praful Patel also heads Rifle or some such Assocn
— Savitri S (@Savitritvs) October 14, 2019
Apart from Ganguly, Shah and Dhumal, the others who filed their nominations included Mahim Verma (vice-president), Brijesh Patel (IPL GC Member), Jayesh George (Joint Secretary), Khairul Jamil Majumdar (governing council member. The above-mentioned candidates are expected to be elected unopposed at the board’s Annual General Meeting on October 23.
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Moreover, Ganguly and George will have to demit office as chiefs of Cricket Association of Bengal and Kerala Cricket Association respectively after they take charge at BCCI.
