Is Bhaichung Bhutia Mamata Banerjee's man for the Hills?

NEW DELHI: Is Bhaichung Bhutia readying himself for an innings in politics? The former India football captain, who sat behind Mamata Banerjee at a public function in Darjeeling on Wednesday, gave rise to the speculation that he might be the Trinamool trump card for the hills in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Yes, I have heard about it," laughed Bhutia when TOI contacted him on Thursday - not admitting it, but not completely ruling it out either. "It is too early to say anything concrete at the moment."

"There were nearly 14 other former footballers invited (for the event) too. I happened to be sitting close to the CM," he protested, but election-speak seemed to be already rolling off the 37-year-old's tongue.

"Good and clean governance is the need of the hour, I feel the CM and TMC are the right people taking the state in that direction. I endorse what they stand for," he said, "I am close to the CM since I feel she represents freedom from corruption."

Bhutia admitted he had received feelers from the party on whether he would be open to contest from Bengal's politically disturbed hill region, but added, "There hasn't been anything conveyed directly to me. In any case, there is still time." There has been no official statement from TMC on Bhutia.

Asked if clean, corruption-free governance was the plank he was endorsing, then wasn't the Aam Aadmi Party a natural choice, Bhutia said it all depended on which region you belonged and was closer to the local cause.

"For years, Darjeeling region has been ignored. There has been virtually no development due to decades of political unrest. This has scared off investors. It is high time this changed," he said.