To prevent any potential conflict of interest, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who also serves as a director at ATK Mohun Bagan, has opted to resign from his role with the Indian Super League franchise.
The news comes only days after RP Sanjiv Goenka Group – RPSG, a Kolkata-based conglomerate, was awarded the Lucknow-based IPL franchise for a record fee of Rs 7,090 crore.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Ganguly has begun the process of stepping down from his position at Mohun Bagan, which is one of India’s most famous clubs and now competes in the Indian Super League (ISL).
The issue of the conflict of interest gained light when RPSG vice-chairman Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of Mohun Bagan as well as the yet-unnamed Lucknow IPL franchise broke the news that the 49-year-old Ganguly was on the verge of stepping down. “Well, I think he is going to step down from Mohun Bagan completely. I think today. It is for Sourav to make the announcement. I mean, sorry. I think I pre-empted it,” Goenka told CNBC-TV 18.
The former India captain has learnt to have initiated the process of relinquishing his role from ATKMB, the city-based heavyweights where he also has a stake.
If Ganguly carried on occupying the positions both at BCCI and Mohun Bagan, he would fall foul of the ‘direct or indirect interest’ conflict rule under the BCCI constitution.
The conflict of interest rule as per the BCCI constitution states: “When the BCCI, a Member, the IPL or a Franchisee enter into contractual arrangements with entities in which the individual concerned or his/her relative, partner or close associate has an interest.
“This is to include cases where family members, partners or close associates are in a position that may, or maybe seen to compromise as individual’s participation, performance and discharge of roles.”
