Gautam Gambhir opts out, here's a quick look at his mercurial political innings

Gambhir, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2018, joined the BJP months before the 2019 general elections and defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi in East Delhi.

Hours before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls on March 2, its MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir,  requested the party leadership to relieve him of his political duties.

In a tweet, the former cricketer urged BJP President JP Nadda to relieve him of his political duties so he can focus on his upcoming cricket commitments.

Gambhir's tweet, followed by his non-inclusion in BJP's first list of candidates for Delhi, strengthens buzz about what possibly could have led to his exclusion from the list.

Gambhir, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2018, joined the BJP months before the 2019 general elections and defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi in East Delhi.

Here are the instances when Gambhir found himself embroiled in controversy.

The two voter ID controversy

During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Gambhir's East Delhi rival and AAP leader Atishi filed a criminal complaint against him, alleging that he possessed two voter IDs and failed to disclose this in his election affidavit while filing his nomination. Gambhir responded saying he has only one such ID from Rajender Nagar.

Statements on Kohli’s captaincy

Gambhir made headlines with his assessment of cricketer Virat Kohli’s captaincy, attributing Kohli’s success to the presence of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in the Indian team.

Gambhir’s assertion that Kohli’s captaincy would have yielded an IPL title for Royal Challengers Bangalore had he been surrounded by similar support sparked a debate on the role of leadership and team dynamics in cricketing success.

Delhi BJP's Gambhir problem?

A "spat" between Gambhir and BJP MLA OP Sharma at a party event presided over by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had led to a section of the BJP’s Delhi unit seeking action against the MP.

The spat, which reportedly occurred at an event  held as part of the BJP’s celebration of nine years of the Modi government, rekindled the discomfort within the party over the former cricketer’s behaviour ever since he swept the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency with over 55 percent of the votes in 2019.

Also Read: Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi from Varanasi, Shah from Gandhinagar as BJP names 195 candidates in first list

The rally controversy

A case was filed against Gambhir for holding a rally without permission in the capital's Jangpura locality leading up to the 2019 parliamentary elections. The complaint was filed by the East Delhi Returning Officer, and AAP's Atishi was quick to jump in to slam her rival.

BJP opts for a fresh look in Delhi

The saffron party has opted for a fresh look for Delhi, choosing four new faces as it announced its candidates for five of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital city ahead of the general elections this year.

Four sitting MPs — Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, Meenakshi Lekhi, and Harsh Vardhan — have been dropped by the party.

Of the five names who have made it to the BJP's first list from Delhi, Manoj Tiwari from Northeast Delhi is the only MP who has been given a ticket again.

The BJP has fielded Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of former External Affairs Minister, the late Sushma Swaraj, from New Delhi, trade leader Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk, Delhi MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi, and former south Delhi mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi.

The party is yet to announce its candidates for the East Delhi and North West Delhi constituencies.

Also Read: 7 Union ministers, currently Rajya Sabha MPs, to fight Lok Sabha elections as BJP releases first list

AAP fields Kuldeep Kumar Monu from East Delhi

Gambhir’s decision comes days after the AAP announced Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar as its East Delhi candidate. Kuldeep Kumar Monu belongs to the Scheduled Caste and yet the party has fielded him from an unreserved constituency, a step hailed by Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal as “revolutionary”.

As part of the INDIA alliance for the 2024 elections, the AAP will contest four seats, while the Congress will field candidates in three Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi.