Former Indian cricketer and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Yusuf Pathan emerged victorious in the Baharampur constituency, defeating five-time Indian National Congress (INC) MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Pathan secured 476,913 votes, while Chowdhury earned 403,651 votes.
"I congratulate all of you who have been with me. I am happy. It is not only my win but also of all the workers. Records are made to be broken. I respect Adhir Ranjan. I will continue to do so. I will make a sports academy first so that they can make a career. I will also work for industries. I will be living here and working for the people. I will also be in Gujarat as my family is there. I have got a new family in Baharampur. I talked to Didi (Mamata Banerjee). They are happy, " Cricketer turned politician said.
Chowdhury, a prominent figure in West Bengal politics, had been elected consecutively from 2009 to 2019 and was the sole Congress MP from the state in the 17th Lok Sabha. He previously served as a member of the West Bengal assembly from 1996 to 1999 and held the position of Minister of State for Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2012 to 2014.
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Known for his attacking gameplay in cricket, Pathan represented India in 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is. He was part of India's World Cup-winning teams in 2007 and 2011, and also played for the IPL-winning squads of Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Yusuf Pathan joins a list of cricketers who have transitioned to politics and secured seats in Parliament. Notable examples include Gautam Gambhir, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohammad Azharuddin, Kirti Azad, Chetan Chauhan and Gambhir.