Sourav Ganguly has resigned as a director of ATK Mohun Bagan on Wednesday (October 27). Two days after RPSG Group, that owns the ISL team Bagan, won the Lucknow franchise of the Indian Premier League. According to a Cricbuzz report, Ganguly has relinquished the position in the Kolkata football team to avoid potential conflict of interest. Reports emerged about his conflicted position by virtue of being BCCI president as well as a director of company that owns an IPL franchise. On Monday, businessman Sanjiv Goenka's RPSG Ventures won the rights to own a new Lucknow franchise in the next edition of the Indian Premier League, bidding Rs 7,090 for the team.
The same day, Goenka, who is chairman of the ISL club, told a news channel that Ganguly was on the verge of stepping down from Mohun Bagan after the issue was raised by many. The BCCI rule states: “When the BCCI, a Member, the IPL or a Franchisee enter into contractual arrangements with entities in which the individual concerned or his/her relative, partner or close associate has an interest. This is to include cases where family members, partners or close associates are in position that may, or may be seen to compromise as individual's participation, performance and discharge of roles.”
