Dada takes on Didi in West Bengal

Former Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly started campaigning for the Left Front for the 2011 Assembly elections by comparing a potential Left Front resurrection to his own comeback during his last tour in South Africa. Ganguly said that he had been dropped from the Indian team but made a successful return.

Speaking on the "role of youth in leadership creation" at a memorial service in honour of former mayor Bikash Ghosh in Siliguri, Ganguly stressed the need for hard work to surmount all odds.

He goaded CPI(M) cadres, who have been badly bruised by the marauding Trinamool Congress in recent elections, to believe in their ability to win. He urged them to slog in the "penultimate overs" to stage a comeback. To drive home the point, he harped on the old adage, "Try, try and try again."

When asked about the role fate and good luck played in determining fortunes, Ganguly said that good luck and fortune favoured the brave who did not shy away from a fight to the finish.

An excited Ashok Bhattacharya, West Bengal's Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister, at whose behest Ganguly was in Siliguri, said the former captain not only managed to encourage the CPI(M) cadres and local leaders, but also instilled a sense of confidence among the local youth.

Ganguly will tour the state extensively to boost the flagging morale of young party cadres. Popularly known as Dada, Ganguly decided to take on Didi, that is Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee, at the request of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Ganguly affectionately calls Bhattacharya kaku, or uncle.

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