Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir is reportedly in line to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as a “BJP candidate” from New Delhi. The prolific Indian opener who has contributed a lot for India in cricket has been on the most wanted list of Bharatiya Janata Party.
If this could be true then Gambhir will join the list of cricketer-turned-politician. The list has Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kirti Azad and Mohammad Azharuddin. As per a report in NDTV, the 37-year-old Gambhir may contest from the prestigious New Delhi constituency, at present held by the party’s Meenakshi Lekhi, in the national election in April-May.
Gambhir, who retired from all forms of cricket in December and was recently awarded the Padma Shri, has remained tight-lipped whenever asked about joining politics.
“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about it,” Gambhir had told The Quint soon after announcing his retirement.
In his recent interview with The Quint in December, Gambhir had asked the public to not vote for him based on his achievements on the cricket field.
“If ever there is a situation in life that I get into that space, don’t vote for Gautam Gambhir the cricketer. Don’t vote for Gautam Gambhir the human either. Vote for Gautam Gambhir if you believe in him, that he can change your life for better, and can try to make this country a better place to live in,” he added.
The BJP is also looking forward to introducing some fresh faces this time in terms of ticket distribution considering the fact that it faces a tough challenge from the opposition than it did in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when Modi wave was a huge impact for the BJP to secure an “absolute majority” in the Lower House of Parliament.
The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the upcoming general election, which is likely to be spread over 7-8 phases in April-May.
