Even as the next Lok Sabh election approaches, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir, has declared his intention to retire from active politics. The former Team India cricket player took to X to announce his decision. He stated that he wanted to concentrate on his cricket responsibilities, stating that he needed to refocus on the game he played with such enthusiasm prior to entering politics.
“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,” Gambhir posted on X.
Heavyweights including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to be on the BJP’s first list of over 100 candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The party convened lengthy overnight sessions in Delhi, including one that started at 11 p.m. on Thursday and ended at 4 a.m. on Friday, hosted by the prime minister at his Delhi home.
Since joining the BJP in March 2019, Gambhir has emerged as one of the party’s most well-known figures in Delhi. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he ran for and won the East Delhi constituency by a wide margin of 6,95,109 votes.
Notably, Gambhir’s schedule in the upcoming months will be busy because of his duties in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he is mentoring the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), a team he captained to two IPL titles.
He was a vital member of the Indian squads that won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup. Gambhir amassed 10,324 runs at an average of 38.95 in 242 matches for India, including 20 centuries and 63 half-centuries.