Back to cricket, why Gautam Gambhir called time on his political career after just one term

Hours before the BJP released its first list of Lok Sabha candidates on Saturday, the party’s East Delhi MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir announced his decision to quit politics and return to the sport, stumping many including those in the BJP.

A source in the BJP said the “party was looking to repeat him as a candidate, even if not from East Delhi or a seat in the capital” and that this decision “was conveyed to him”. The source said that at an organisational meeting that preceded the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Thursday night, where the names for the first list were drawn up, “a senior Union Minister” described Gambhir as the “the perfect candidate” who could ensure an additional 370 votes per booth in his Lok Sabha constituency – a target the BJP leadership has set in order to win 370 seats.

The BJP insider said Gambhir was now considering taking on cricket administration duties “at least in Delhi, if not the country”. It was in fact the cricket administration that led Gambhir to take up a political career. Leaders in Delhi BJP said Gambhir shared a close relationship with former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his family. Gambhir is said to have closely observed Jaitley’s tenure as the president of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) that began in the late 1990s. He held on to the post till he passed away in 2019. It was at Jaitley’s advice, the leaders say, that Gambhir made the switch to politics.

I have requested Hon’ble Party President <a href=«https://twitter.com/JPNadda?ref_src=» https: class="" rel=«nofollow, noopener» target="_blank">@JPNadda

ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM