How will Tendulkar contribute in the parliament?

If Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t deliver on the parliamentary turf, he needn’t be embarrassed, says Iftikhar Gilani in DNA, and gives us a brief of what the other cricketers-turned-politicians - who were elected - have done during their terms.

Azharuddin has listed just five questions in the three years since he won the Lok Sabha polls from Moradabad. He is yet to pilot a private member bill or participate in any discussions on a government bill. He has not yet asked any supplementary questions. But he provoked a discussion on the “need for inquiry on the death of an IAS officer” in 2009 — his saving grace. Once, he participated in a debate on general budget ...

Sachin Tendulkar's acceptance of a Rajya Sabha nomination has been followed by cynical reactions in the media on Tendulkar having allowed himself to be swayed by a political agenda. Venky Vembu in First Post raises the question - how will Tendulkar contribute to the Parliament?

On the face of it, of course, there is of course enough in the move to feed the innate cynicism that resonates within all of us. Nominating someone so popular as Sachin for a Bharat Ratna or a Rajya Sabha nomination is a no-brainer, a way to harvest goodwill on the cheap. You can be sure that the Congress will milk this during the next elections, perhaps by enlisting Sachin to campaign on its behalf.

Suresh Menon resonates similar views in Dream Cricket.

But scratch deeper and the stench of cynicism hits you. A ruling party reeling under corruption charges, with inefficiency as its watchword and policy paralysis as its manifesto is in urgent need of shifting the focus from an old story which has re-emerged: Bofors, the 25-year old scandal. When you can’t change the logic of an argument, change the argument itself. Ride piggy-back on the character and record of one of the whitest reputations in the country.

Rajdeep Sardesai expresses his surprise on CricketNext and argues that for a cricketer, who has seldom voiced his opinion on public issues, Tendulkar's decision has confused everyone.

The editorial in The Hindustan Times raises doubts on the induction of celebrities such as Tendulkar in the Parliament while a cartoon in The Hindu has a humourous take on the issue.