Sourav Ganguly set to be new BCCI president, Amit Shah's son for secretary spot

MUMBAI: In a dramatic turn of events, former captain Sourav Ganguly emerged as the consensus candidate to be BCCI's new President after Brijesh Patel appeared to have grabbed the coveted post.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah will be the new secretary while Arun Dhumal will be the new treasurer. Dhumal is the younger brother of MoS Finance and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur.

Monday is the last day to file nomination but no election will be held since all candidates have emerged unopposed after weeks of lobbying and hectic parleys.

The 47-year-old Ganguly, who is currently the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, (CAB) will have to demit his post in September 2020 as he will go into compulsory cooling-off period.

Brijesh, backed by Tamil Nadu strongman N Srinivasan, emerged Presidential candidate when Ganguly remained non-committal on campaigning for the BJP in the 2021 state assembly elections.

However, when most of the state units opposed the 'understanding', things changed dramatically.

"Yes, Brijesh was running for the President's post with N Srinivasan actively lobbying for him. However, there was stiff resistance against him. We are happy Sourav is the new President," a senior official from North East affiliated unit, told PTI.

The choice for President's post was always between Ganguly and Patel and the former was finally accepted as a unanimous candidate

When the new office bearers assume office, it will end a 33-month term of the Committee of Administrators, which called shots in running the cricket affairs in country post-Lodha Committee reforms.

Former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad beat Kirti Azad to be elected as a male ICA representative on BCCI's nine-member Apex Council. Shanta Rangaswamy was earlier elected unopposed as female ICA representative.