Gautam Gambhir urges BJP to relieve him of political duties

By Snehadri Sarkar

Mar 02, 2024

11:45 am

What's the story

In a surprise move, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir announced his decision to step away from active politics on Saturday ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Gambhir, who represents East Delhi in the Lok Sabha, took to X (formerly Twitter) and expressed his desire to focus on his cricket commitments. He cited the need to redirect his attention to the sport, which he passionately played before entering politics.

Gambhir's announcement

I sincerely thank PM Modi: Gambhir

In his post, Gambhir thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the "opportunity to serve the people." "I have requested Honorable Party (BJP) President JP Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments (sic)," he tweeted. "I sincerely thank Honorable [PM Modi] for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind," the BJP MP added.

Twitter Post

You can read his post here

I have requested Hon’ble Party President @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 @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) March 2, 2024

Gambhir's politics

Gambhir's political journey with BJP

After joining the BJP in March 2019, the former Team India cricketer quickly became a key figure in the party's Delhi unit. Gambhir ran for and won the East Delhi seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing a significant margin of 6,95,109 votes. However, his departure from active politics comes amid rumors that he might not receive a ticket for the 2024 general election.

BJP's candidate list

BJP's candidate list for 2024 Lok Sabha election

Meanwhile, the BJP is expected to unveil an initial list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections soon. It shall feature over 100 names, including prominent figures like PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The saffron party held extensive overnight meetings in New Delhi, one of which was led by the prime minister at his residence on Thursday. The elections are expected to take place in April-May.