Sourav Ganguly Feels It's Not The Right Time to Discuss Jagmohan Dalmiya's Successor

Sourav Ganguly, who on Wednesday met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid speculation that he may take over as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president, said it is not the appropriate time to discuss Jagmohan Dalmiya's suuccessor in Bengal cricket. (Will Mamata Banerjee make Sourav Ganguly the king of Bengal cricket?)

Ganguly, who is a joint secretary of the CAB, arrived at the state secretariat along with Dalmiya's son Abhishek and held an hour-long meeting with Mamata.

The former India captain, however, refused to comment on whether he would throw his hat as a candidate for the president's post.

"To discuss something like this (three days after his death) is not right. Speculation will be on, someone will run CAB. It's too early to comment because it has just been three days... It's very early to say," Ganguly said after his meeting.

Condoling Dalmiya's demise, Ganguly said: "I've lost someone very dear. I've grown up before him since childhood. I had a very personal relation with Dalmiya... He was very special to me, I've lost very important person."

Dalmiya's concluding ritual (shraddh) will be held on October 2 and Abhishek said he had come to invite the Chief Minister.

"On October 2, my father's shraddh ceremony will be held. I went to invite the Chief Minister who gave outstanding support to us even after he (Dalmiya) left us. She gave us a lot of respect. I went there to express my gratitude," he said.

It's not clear whether Ganguly had gone there to garner support but there's intense speculation over the high profile meeting, three days after the demise of Dalmiya who died of massive cardiac arrest at a private nursing home on Sunday.

But it remains to be seen whether the former India captain, who's a newcomer into the cricket administration, is really able to make it with CAB consisting 121 affiliated units.

It's believed Ganguly is not an unanimous choice among a group of heavyweight members like Chitrak Mitra, Gautam Dasgupta, TMC senior leader Subrata Mukherjee maybe eyeing the seat.

A state minister said the government has nothing to do with the CAB affairs but Ganguly is the pride of West Bengal.

"The state government has nothing to do with the matter of CAB president elections. We have nothing to comment regarding it. But yes Sourav is pride of Bengal," the minister said.

In fact, former CAB joint secretary and current treasurer Biswarup Dey with a considerable support also cannot be ruled out.

Incidentally, the Bengal cricket icon has been roped in by the West Bengal government for hosting an upcoming business reality show and some believed that meeting was in that context.

The CAB's electorate comprises 121 votes - 94 first and second division Kolkata clubs, 18 district units, eight universities, and a vote from the Office Sports Federation.