Mukherjee headed for another term

Cricket Association of Bengal president Prasun Mukherjee is likely to win another term uncontested but the stage is set for an intense contest for the other executive posts with the dissident group led by Jagmohan Dalmiya deciding to put up candidates for the Association's July 28 elections.

There were several twists in the announcement of candidates of the two panels with Dalmiya, who is not in the fray as his appeal against the suspension clamped by the BCCI is still pending before the court, losing the support of his erstwhile mentor Biswanth Dutt and a sitting joint secretary ditching the former cricket board strongman and getting re-nominated from Mukherjee's panel.

Former BCCI president Dutt, who has solidly stood by Dalmiya in previous CAB elections, said he would not support any group. "I'm not for or against anybody," Dutt said. "I'm old and ill, and I don't have the stamina to enter into CAB politics"

However, what would surely not be music to Dalmiya's ears is the way Dutt praised Mukherjee, who also happens to the be the city police commissioner. "Nobody has told me anything against him. He is a gentleman."

Though the Dalmiya lobby held a series of meetings till late into the night, the indications were that it would not put up any candidate against Mukherjee. "I don't think we will put up a candidate for the president's post," said one of the likely joint secretary candidates from the group.

For the two posts of joint secretaries, the Mukherjee group has nominated Samar Pal and Amitabha Banerjee. While Banerjee is a sitting joint secretary, having won the elections last year as part of Dalmiya's panel, Pal has been a long-time opponent of Dalmiya.

To oppose the duo, the Dalmiya group has re-nominated joint secretary Saradindu Pal and promoted assistant secretary and staunch Dalmiya loyalist Biswarup Dey.

The Mukherjee panel's candidates for the four vice presidential posts include former cricketer Rusi Jeejeebhoy, who also has Dalmiya's backing. The Dalmiya lobby is set to formally announce two vice presidential nominees tomorrow.

Mukherjee has also got the support of a section of former close aides of Dalmiya, who distanced themselves from the seasoned cricket administrator about seven-eight months back and formed what is known in CAB circles as the 'third front'.

"We will go with Mukherjee's panel. We did give him some names of who we wish to see in the panel and who we dislike. He has accommodated our requests as far as possible," said 'third front' leader and former BCCI joint secretary Goutam Dasgupta.

For the treasurer's post, the Mukherjee lobby has nominated Tushar Sarkar, who is likely to face challenge from incumbent S K Kalyani, who has Dalmiya's backing.