Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni to contest 2019 Lok Sabha election on BJP ticket? Sources close to players deny claim

Sources close to Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni, on Tuesday, denied the rumours circulating that they are going to contest in Lok Sabha elections 2019. A report published in The Sunday Guardian claimed that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) was likely to field the two cricketers in next year's Lok Sabha election. The report said that Gambhir was likely to replace Meenakshi Lekhi from the New Delhi seat as the party was not happy with her performance. It further stated that BJP has trust in both Gambhir and Dhoni as they have proved their leadership on the cricket field.

File image of former Indian captain MS Dhoni (L) with Gautam Gambhir. AFP

Firstpost reached out to sources close to both Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni and learnt that there is no truth in the story. Gambhir's manager Dinesh Chopra denied that the Delhi cricketer is planning to contest elections next year on a BJP ticket. Dinesh, in an email conversation, said, "There is no truth in the story."

Arun Pandey (who is a close friend and business partner of former Indian captain Dhoni) also denied the news doing the rounds, saying that the story is just a speculation. He told Firstpost, "The news story is only speculation and no reality."

Dhoni is currently playing an ODI series against West Indies and in all likelihood, will play the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. In such a scenario, taking part in an election does seem like a far-fetched notion.