Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh joins BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls
He was earlier with the JD(S). Ganesh played four Tests and one ODI for India.
Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh (standing, 2nd left) joined the BJP in Bengaluru on Friday, April 5. Photo: X/@doddaganesha
Former Indian cricketer Dodda Ganesh on Friday (April 5) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bengaluru ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Ganesh joined the BJP along with Mandya Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh and several others at the party’s state headquarters in Bengaluru.
On his X (Twitter) account, Ganesh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda and promised to work for the party and the country.
The 50-year-old Ganesh joined the party in the presence of veteran BJP leader and former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly R Ashoka, national General Secretary in-charge of elections in Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and others.
Ganesh, a former fast bowler, had represented the Indian cricket team in four Tests and one ODI in 1997. He retired from cricket at the age of 33 in the year 2007 and took up coaching. Later, he joined former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 19. Karnataka will vote for 28 seats in two phases, on April 26 and May 7.