BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has stepped down from the board of directors of the Sanjiv Goenka-owned ISL club ATK-Mohun Bagan as it could have caused a conflict of interest situation after the business tycoon successfully bid for IPL's Lucknow franchise.
Ganguly has been part of Atletico-Kolkata since the start of the Indian Super League in 2014. The club was rechristened ATK (Amar Tomar Kolkata) before it merged with legacy club Mohun Bagan. Goenka's RP-SG Group clinched the IPL Lucknow team for a whopping Rs 7,090 crore on Monday.
"Yes, Sourav Ganguly has already sent a letter to ATK-Mohun Bagan management and intimated them that he will no longer be able to have a seat among club's board of directors as RP-Sanjiv Goenka group are now owners of IPL team and it could be a case of Conflict of Interest," a senior IPL source told PTI on Thursday.
"Once the IPL bid was over, it was a formality and Ganguly has done the needful. Till RP-SG bid successfully, there was no case of Conflict of Interest as they were not a part of IPL," the source added.
Earlier, Goenka had told CNBC-TV18 that the former India captain will step down from his board of director role.
"Well, I think he is going to step down from Mohun Bagan completely... I think today," Goenka told the business television network. "It is for Sourav to make the announcement. I mean, sorry. I think I pre-empted it."
The rule 38(iv) with regards to direct or indirect Conflict of Interest states: "When the BCCI, a Member, the IPL or a Franchisee enter into contractual arrangements with entities in which the individual concerned or his/her relative, partner or close associate has an interest.
"This is to include cases where family members, partners or close associates are in position that may, or may be seen to compromise as individual's participation, performance and discharge of roles."
