Yusuf Pathan, a Member of Parliament for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), denied rumors that Mamata Banerjee asked him to resign from his seat [1, 2].
The denial addresses speculation regarding the Berhampore Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. The rumors suggested that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought Pathan's resignation to contest a by-election for the seat [1, 2, 3].
Pathan said the claims were "completely false" [1]. He said, "I have not been asked to resign" [1].
The situation gained further attention as some reports linked former cricketer Sourav Ganguly to the matter. Specifically, reports from News24 suggested Ganguly's name was associated with informal communications regarding Pathan vacating the seat [3].
Ganguly rejected these reports. He said, "I have not acted as an intermediary for Ms. Banerjee" [1].
The Berhampore seat remains a point of political interest in West Bengal. Despite the viral speculation, both the incumbent MP and the alleged intermediary have distanced themselves from the narrative of a forced vacancy [1, 2].
“"completely false"”
The denial of these rumors suggests a desire to maintain stability within the Trinamool Congress ranks. By publicly rejecting the claims, Pathan and Ganguly aim to shut down narratives of internal party friction or strategic seat-swapping that could be exploited by political opponents in West Bengal.
