Former India cricketer and former West Bengal Minister of State for Youth and Sports Manoj Tiwary on May 5, 2026 accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of systematic corruption, saying he was asked to pay Rs 5 crore for an MLA ticket and refused. Speaking to PTI a day after the West Bengal Assembly results, which saw the TMC lose power after 15 years, Tiwary said his association with the party was now over and accused party leaders of selling tickets.
Tiwary said he was denied a ticket from the Shibpur constituency in Howrah because he would not pay. He called the election setback “bound to happen” when, he alleged, “an entire party has indulged in corrupt practices and there was no development in any sector.” He claimed that “at least 70–72 candidates this time paid around Rs five crore to get a ticket,” and urged readers to “just check how many of those who paid up have managed to win.”
The 40-year-old, one of Bengal’s most successful cricketers with over 10,000 first-class runs, said he initially resisted a political career and had declined to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He accepted Mamata Banerjee’s request to run in the 2021 Assembly elections, won the Shibpur seat and was later appointed Minister of State for Sports. Tiwary said he took the role hoping to bring “meaningful change.”
Tiwary alleged that basic civic issues in Howrah, such as drainage and sewage, were repeatedly ignored despite his efforts, and that some development work in his constituency was paid for from his own pocket. He rejected claims that he engaged in extortion, noting that his 2021 election affidavit declared Rs 20 crore in cash and that he had earned a livelihood through a long cricketing career.
He also criticised state sports minister Aroop Biswas, saying he was sidelined at official events and not allowed to work properly. “Aroop Da doesn’t know A, B, C, D of any sport,” Tiwary told PTI, adding that he was often not invited to take part in ceremonies where his presence would have been appropriate.
Tiwary said he now intends to refocus on cricket and has applied for the Bengal Ranji team head coach post after clearing the BCCI Level 2 coaching exam with distinction. The allegations made to PTI have not been independently verified in this report. (With agency inputs.)
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/manoj-tiwary-tmc-exit-allegations-mamata-banerjee-west-bengal-elections-14007904.html
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Publish Date: 2026-05-05 19:03:00
