Yusuf Pathan's silence fuels defection rumors within TMC

Yusuf Pathan, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament and former Indian cricketer, has become the focus of intense speculation regarding a potential defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The controversy erupted as a rebel faction within the TMC claimed that Pathan was aligning with the BJP-led NDA government.

Mahua Moitra, an TMC MP, directly addressed Pathan on X (formerly Twitter), questioning his trip to Delhi and suggesting he was summoned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. She urged him to "have some courage" and "have some shame & some spine," referencing his past as a national player and his electoral mandate from Baharampur.

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And [Yusuf Pathan] you are rushing to Delhi because [Union home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah] has called you? Have some courage. You played for India. Our district voted you in with a huge margin. Have some shame & some spine.

Kalyan Banerjee, the TMC's Lok Sabha chief whip, echoed these concerns, stating that Pathan confirmed he was going to Delhi to meet Amit Shah. Banerjee accused Shah of actively working to destabilize the TMC, suggesting the rebel group had shifted its allegiance from Mamata Banerjee to Narendra Modi.

Pathan, along with his brother Irfan Pathan, achieved fame as cricketers. Yusuf Pathan was personally selected by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the TMC ticket in 2024, reportedly due to his Muslim identity and celebrity status. Despite the mounting pressure and speculation, Pathan himself has remained silent on the matter. Meanwhile, a BJP MLA in West Bengal cryptically suggested Pathan had already "run away and already gone to another club."

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I talked to Yusuf Pathan yesterday (June 8). He was in Baroda (Vadodara). He said Amit Shah has called him and he's coming to Delhi to meet him.