Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, has dismissed claims that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested him to persuade Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan to resign from his Baharampur Lok Sabha seat. This controversy arose after Banerjee's significant defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, where she lost her seat to Suvendu Adhikari. Reports suggested that Banerjee was considering a return to Parliament through the Baharampur seat, which has a substantial Muslim population, a key support base for the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Ganguly stated that he had never been involved in any political negotiations and had not been asked by Banerjee to communicate with Pathan. He criticized the media for spreading what he termed as reckless allegations and emphasized the need for fact-checking before publishing such claims. The controversy unfolds as Banerjee prepares for her visit to Delhi for a meeting with the INDIA bloc and discussions with party MPs.