Speculations were rife when Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday was hosted by Indian cricketing legend Sourav Ganguly at his residence in South Kolkata. Shah was accompanied by BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, and Leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari.
However, Ganguly—at one time was rumoured to be the man BJP wanted to snare for its chief ministerial face—was quick to clamp down on the rumours. He said: "Bohu kotha rote [many speculations are rife], but I have known him [Shah] since 2008. While playing, I used to meet him. There's nothing more than that."
Ganguly then spoke of his close relation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is known to be a strident critic of the BJP. "Our honourable Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a person very close to me. I am also very close to [TMC minister] Firhad Hakim. He has been seeing me since I was in Class 1. He has been our family friend. All who approach him get help. I too have called him several times," Ganguly said.
