In what came as a startling revelation, Gautam Gambhir, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from East Delhi and former Indian cricketer, made a public declaration about his exit from active politics. Through a message on social media, Gambhir expressed his intention to return full-time to the cricketing arena, stating that his calling now lies back in the sport that has been his passion. He communicated his decision to seek discharge from his political engagements through a tweet: ‘I have requested Hon’ble Party President JP Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind,’ he posted on March 2, 2024.
The unexpected announcement from Mr. Gambhir comes at a time when there was speculation that he might not be a part of the list of BJP candidates for the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, on its part, has been engaged in strategic meetings and is on the cusp of announcing its first list of candidates for the elections, including political heavyweights such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. During the course of his political career, Gambhir became a well-recognized face of the BJP in the capital since his induction in March 2019. He secured a seat in the Lok Sabha elections of the same year, winning by a striking margin.
Mr. Gambhir’s cricketing engagement is attributed to the Indian Premier League, where he is slated to play the role of a mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, a team he had previously led to victory twice over as the captain. Having been a pivotal part of the Indian cricket team during their T20 World Cup win in 2007 and the World Cup triumph in 2011, his record boasts of playing 242 matches with an impressive average and a number of centuries and half-centuries to his name. Gautam Gambhir, by stepping away from politics, aims to renew his connection with cricket, a domain where he already has an illustrious legacy.