Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian cricketer turned politician, announced his departure from active politics to pursue cricket-related activities.
In 2019, Gambhir successfully ran for the Lok Sabha as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from New Delhi, securing a win over rivals from the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
NDTV reports suggest that following detailed analyses of each electoral seat, the BJP has decided against renominating Gambhir. The party’s preliminary list of candidates does not include a representative for Gambhir’s East Delhi constituency, and the selection of Sinha for Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, is yet to be confirmed.
In a recent X post, Gambhir requested to be released from his political responsibilities by the BJP’s president, focusing instead on imminent cricket engagements.
Gambhir’s decision to step down aligns with the BJP’s ambitious target to achieve a majority in the forthcoming elections, aiming for 370 seats. In his inaugural term, Gambhir and Sinha, who have served two terms and are the sons of the former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, were reportedly facing popularity issues within their constituencies.
The BJP’s culmination of an extensive review process included gathering feedback from constituencies, conducting internal assessments, and engaging in external surveys, leading to deliberations among the leadership at both state and national levels.
Sources indicate that the decision not to nominate Gambhir was addressed in a meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Modi and featuring prominent BJP leaders.
