Sourav Ganguly has stepped down from ATK-Mohun Bagan's Board of Directors: IPL Source
NEW DELHI: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has stepped down from the Board of Directors of the Sanjiv Goenka-owned ISL club ATK-Mohun Bagan as it could have caused a conflict of interest situation after the business tycoon successfully bid for IPL's Lucknow franchise.
Ganguly has been a part of Atletico-Kolkata since the start of the Indian Super League in 2014.
The club was rechristened ATK (Amar Tomar Kolkata) before it merged with legacy club Mohun Bagan.
Goenka's RP-SG Group clinched the IPL Lucknow team for a whopping Rs 7090 crore on Monday.
"Yes, Sourav Ganguly has already sent a letter to ATK-Mohun Bagan management and intimated them that he will no longer be able to have a seat among club's Board of Directors as RP-Sanjiv Goenka group are now owners of IPL team and it could be a case of Conflict of Interest," a senior IPL source told PTI on Thursday.
"Once the IPL bid was over, it was a formality and Ganguly has done the needful. Till RP-SG bid successfully, there was no case of Conflict of Interest as they were not a part of IPL," the source added.
Earlier, Goenka had told CNBC-TV18 that the former India captain will step down from his Board of Director role.
"Well, I think he is going to step down from Mohun Bagan completely. I think today," Goenka told the business television network.
"It is for Sourav to make the announcement. I mean, sorry. I think I pre-empted it."
Rule 38(iv) with regards to direct or indirect Conflict of Interest 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 a position that may, or maybe seen to compromise as individual's participation, performance and discharge of roles."