Manoj Tiwary and MS Dhoni [Source: AFP]Former India cricketer and outgoing Trinamool Congress MLA Manoj Tiwary announced on Tuesday that his association with the TMC is finished. The 40-year-old claimed the party refused him a ticket from Howrah’s Shibpur constituency because he would not pay a bribe of five crore rupees. Manoj Tiwary‘s statement came on May 5, after Narendra Modi’s political party, the BJP, conquered one of the toughest Indian political frontiers in Bengal, that of Mamata Banerjee’s TMC by a huge margin. Tiwary Makes Corruption Allegations Against TMC Tiwary served as Minister of State for Sports in Mamata Banerjee’s government and in a recent conversation, he expressed no surprise at the party’s heavy defeat, linking it to widespread graft and a lack of real progress. Tiwary directly blamed the TMC’s electoral disaster on a deeply rooted system of selling tickets. He stated that money, not merit, determined who got to contest elections. "Look, I am not at all surprised by this debacle. This was bound to happen when an entire party has indulged in corrupt practices and there was no development in any sector," Manoj Tiwary told PTI in an interview.Tiwary claimed that a hefty price tag was placed on candidacy, with most aspirants forced to shell out huge sums. "Only those who could pay hefty money could buy tickets. At least 70-72 candidates this time paid around Rs five crore to get a ticket. I was asked but I refused to pay. Just check how many of those who paid up have managed to win," he alleged. This refusal, he stated, cost him his political future in the party. With these accusations, he made his personal decision clear, "As far as TMC is concerned, that chapter is over (for me)." Not to forget, Tiwary had played alongside MS Dhoni during his IPL stint with Rising Pune Supergiant.Manoj Tiwary’s Journey As A TMC Leader Tiwary revealed he had no deep desire to join politics initially. His entry was at the personal invitation of Mamata Banerjee. Back in 2019, the party offered him a Lok Sabha ticket, but he turned it down because he was still actively involved in cricket. "At that time, I had played for Punjab Kings in the IPL and was still playing Ranji Trophy seriously when Didi (Mamata Banerjee) wanted me to contest Lok Sabha. I had politely declined but before the 2021 elections, Didi once again called and told me 'Manoj, I have a message for you and Aroop will tell you'. I was asked to contest from Shibpur and I thought that I could make a meaningful change," Manoj Tiwary said. Also Read- BCCI Called Out For ICC’s FavouritismTiwary Exposes Hollow Role In ‘Yes Mam’ System Manoj won the 2021 assembly election but soon found his ministerial role was largely ceremonial. He described the position of Minister of State as meaningless. He claimed that party meetings showed a lack of internal democracy, with the top leadership unwilling to listen to concerns. "I have attended meetings where all TMC ministers were summoned. Now I was given a Lollypop called MoS which basically meant nothing. If I stood up and said 'Didi I want to draw your attention to a certain problem', she would just stop us midway and say 'I don't have time for you people'," he said. No Development Allowed For The Sports Department Once a teammate of MS Dhoni, Tiwary, highlighted his struggles to secure basic infrastructure for his constituents. A key issue was the broken sewage and drainage system in Howrah district, which he could not get fixed despite repeated attempts. He blamed the local municipal administration, controlled by TMC loyalists who allowed no elections for years, for deliberately blocking progress. "Being a sitting MLA, I would run from pillar to post for drainage work in my constituency but people who controlled Howrah Municipality for years without allowing elections to happen, never cared," he said.He dismissed the chief minister’s public announcements as empty words. "Every year Didi would announce a Master Plan for upgradation of underground drainage system but that was it, just lip service," Manoj Tiwary added. Tiwary Denies Extortion Charges During his tenure, Tiwary faced accusations of extorting money from builders in his constituency. He laughed at these allegations, using his financial disclosures to make a point. He emphasized his substantial earnings from a long and successful cricket career, which made such criminal behavior unnecessary. "Let me tell you that when I filed my income affidavit before the 2021 elections, I had declared that I had Rs 20 crore in cash. I have played IPL for 10 years, first-class cricket for 20 years, was part of Indian squads for good number of years. I don't need extortion money," he clarified. He alleged the accusations were a political weapon used by a handful of local councillors who frequently complained to the party leader. "There were 7-8 local councillors who would regularly write to Didi. False allegations were levelled against me," Tiwary countered. Manoj Tiwary On Setback and Planning A Mega Comeback The ex-India cricketer, Tiwary singled out the state cabinet minister for sports, Aroop Biswas, for making his role difficult. He claimed Biswas, who lacked any knowledge of sports, sidelined him out of professional jealousy. "Aroop Da doesn't know A,B, C, D of any sport. There would be functions where both Aroop da and I would be invited and I would not be called on the dais," Tiwary alleged. Nevertheless, with his political chapter closed, Tiwary is looking to return to his first passion as a professional coach. "The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) had invited applications for head coach's post. I have passed my BCCI Level 2 exam with 'distinction' and want to pursue serious coaching in near future," he concluded. Manoj Tiwary has already passed his BCCI Level 2 Coaches examination with a top grade and currently works as an expert for a cricket website. Also Read- 3 Players Whom PCB Can Drop To Bring Babar Azam Back In Pakistan Team
