Seasoned Maidan analysts agree that the key difference between Dalmiya and Ganguly for the average voter is presence and influence at the grass-root level. And this is exactly where Dalmiya is way ahead of the former Indian captain.

But another Maidan veteran and a current CAB functionary thinks differently, although he has been battling against the Ganguly faction. “This time, we have a situation where Sourav himself is in contention. So, equations with voters can change a lot if Sourav himself comes to the fore to contest against Dalmiya. But having said that, Prasun Mukherjee eventually had to go because he never belonged to the Maidan. The same may happen with Sourav if he fails to connect with the Maidan clubs. This is where Dalmiya will always hold an edge over Sourav,” he opined.

Switching over to some other state body?
The harder it appears for Ganguly to find his way into the CAB, the more a new theory is picking up pace — that he may after all switch over to some other state association and represent it at the BCCI, and bypass the CAB and the tough-to-face Dalmiya regime here.

Some Maidan veterans believe that it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Ganguly someday mulls over switching over to some other state body. In theory, if Ganguly leaves Bengal and represents, say Tripura, at the BCCI, then he would naturally be bypassing Dalmiya & Co and the CAB as a whole. Such a move would eliminate the hurdle of a difficult entry into the CAB.