News Brief
Gautam Gambhir.
Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian cricketer and BJP member, has announced his departure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a social media post, he expressed his gratitude to the party leadership for the opportunity to serve but cited his upcoming cricket commitments as the reason for stepping down from his political duties.
He said, "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!"
Gambhir's decision to exit the BJP comes just as the party is gearing up to announce its list of candidates for the general elections.
Having joined the BJP in March 2019, Gambhir quickly became a prominent figure within the party, particularly in Delhi.
With his departure, the BJP will now need to field a new candidate from the East Delhi constituency, which Gambhir won by a significant margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
However, speculations also emerge that he may not be given a ticket for the upcoming polls and because of that Gambhir has opted to focus on his cricketing commitments.
Meanwhile, the BJP is anticipated to unveil its first list of candidates soon, comprising over 100 names, including prominent leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
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