Dada over Didi? Rajnath says BJP will hit the sixer in Bengal

Ganguly has refuted all claims of him joining BJP

Are you Bengali?

If the answer is yes, then chances are high that the questioner will take you to be a Sourav Ganguly fan. Since his rise from the Behala grounds to becoming the captain of the Indian cricket team, Ganguly has always been present in the altar of Bengali emotion in the form of 'Dada'.

The West Bengal Assembly election is just around the corner, and the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to conquer the citadel for the first time. Till a few weeks ago, rumours were rife that Sourav Ganguly would join BJP. The hype was great, for Ganguly is one of the biggest 'son of the soil' celebrities Bengal has borne. Many speculated that Ganguly would join BJP during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Brigade Ground rally on March 7, and he would be declared the party's chief ministerial candidate.

Ganguly has refuted all those claims and made his intention of staying away from politics clear. But if the elections arrive, can the presence of Bengal's icon in political speeches be far behind?

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Union Minister of Defence and BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Tuesday while addressing a rally in the state said that BJP has come out of the crease and will hit a six in the upcoming Assembly election, much like the current BCCI President who during his playing days, used to step out of the crease and deposit the ball into the stands. The signature style of Ganguly is fondly called 'Bapi bari ja."

"Whenever Sourav Ganguly crossed the crease, it was sure that he would hit a six. Likewise, with your support in Lok Sabha, we have crossed the crease and surely we will hit a six in Assembly polls and form a BJP government here," said Singh.

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Taking a dig at Trinamool Congress and CM Mamata Banerjee, Singh said he doesn't know what the party means by "Khela Hobe" (Game on!) because the BJP is yet to play "The game of development and peace in Bengal." Addressing public meetings at Daspur, Sabang and Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district, he said "asol paribartan" (true change) will usher in on May 2, the day of the counting of votes for the eight-phase assembly elections that commence on March 27.

"The BJP will form a government in Bengal with more than 200 seats," he asserted.