Relieve me from political responsibilities as I want to focus on cricket, says Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from East Delhi has publicly expressed his desire to relieve him of his political duties. The cricketer-turned-politician shared this decision on his social media account, addressing BJP President JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah. Gambhir has asked JP Nadda to relieve him of his political duties, citing his wish to focus on fulfilling cricket-related commitments.

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!

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) March 2, 2024

In his statement, Gambhir conveyed his gratitude to PM Modi and Amit Shah for providing him with the opportunity to serve the country. The former cricketer joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2019, and within two months, he became the party’s candidate for the East Delhi seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Gambhir emerged victorious in the elections, defeating opponents from AAP and Congress.

Gambhir, a key member of the Indian cricket team that won the 2007 T-20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, played international cricket from 2003 to 2016. His foray into politics saw him winning the Lok Sabha elections from East Delhi in 2019 on a BJP ticket. Notably, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2008 and the Padmashree in 2019.

Reports suggest that the BJP is contemplating not granting tickets to non-performing and inactive MPs in the upcoming elections. Speculation surrounds the potential cancellation of tickets for MPs like Gautam Gambhir, with the party leadership aiming for a strong candidate lineup to achieve its electoral goals.