Bhaichung Bhutia
The former India football captain promises to bring “clean politics” to Sikkim. His newly-formed political party Hamro Sikkim is contesting all the 32 Assembly seats in the state. Bhutia had earlier unsuccessfully contested for the Lok Sabha from Darjeeling on a Trinamool Congress ticket in 2014.
NEW DELHI, INDIA- JANUARY 07: Indian former Football Player Bhaichung Bhutia with supporters during a protest Fight against Corruption and Save Sikkim at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (Photo by Qamar Sibtain/India Today Group/Getty Images)
Mohammed Kaif
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif, known for his safe pair of hands, managed to garner just a little over 58000 votes when he fought on a Congress ticket for the Phulpur parliamentary constituency in 2014.
BHUBANESWAR, 03/11/20-18: Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif in the Asia’s first Sports Literary festival in Bhubaneswar. Photo: Biswaranjan Rout
Dilip Tirkey
The ruling Biju Janta Dal fielded former India hockey captain Dilip Tirkey from Odisha’s Sundargarh constituency in 2014. He, however, lost the election to BJP’s Jual Oram by 18,829 votes. But this was not Tirkey’s first political tryst. He was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 on a BJD ticket.
CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 12/05/2017, Former India Hockey Captain Dilip Tirkey at an interview `The Hindu' in Chennai on Friday. Photo: M. Vedhan
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
India’s lone medal winner at the 2004 Olympics, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore made a seamless transition from sports to politics. Currently, a minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government, Rathore was given the key post of minister of state for youth affairs and sports with independent charge in 2017. The Olympics silver medallist will fight the forthcoming general election from the Jaipur Rural seat.
PUNE, INDIA - JANUARY 10: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Government of India, at Khelo India Youth Games 2019 at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Balewadi, on January 10, 2019 in Pune, India. (Photo by Milind Saurkar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Mohammad Azharuddin
Former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin has been involved in politics for a decade now. Azhar was handed a Congress ticket in 2009 and served one term representing the Moradabad constituency from Uttar Pradesh. In 2014, he, however, lost to BJP’s Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria in Tonk-Swai Madhopur, Rajasthan. Azhar is now the working president of the Congress in Telangana.
NEW DELHI, INDIA - NOVEMBER 8: Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin at his home at Lodhi Estate on November 8, 2012 in New Delhi, India. The Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted life ban on him. He was ordered to never play cricket again after he was falsely accused of match-fixing in December 2000. (Photo By Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Kirti Azad
Former India cricketer and a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, Kirti Azad is serving his third term in the Lok Sabha. The son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad, he previously served a member of Delhi’s legislative assembly representing the Gole Market constituency. In 2014, Azad won the Darbhanga seat in Bihar for the BJP, but he was later suspended by it for ‘anti-party activities,’ and he joined the Congress in February.
NEW DELHI, INDIA - DECEMBER 29: Former Test cricketer Kirti Azad talks to the media after he walked out from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) annual general meeting at Ferozeshah Kotla Ground in New Delhi on Tuesday, December 29, 2009. (Photo by Parveen Negi/India Today Group/Getty Images)
Navjot Singh Sidhu
Former India cricketer and television personality Navjot Singh Sidhu started his political career with the BJP in 2004. But the former India opener joined the Congress in 2017 and won the Amritsar East seat in that year’s assembly election.
New Delhi, INDIA: Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu gestures during the launch of an online Mutliplayer cricket game in New Delhi, 19 December 2006. Sidhu, a cricketer-turned-politician, has moved a petition in the Supreme Court challenging his conviction and three years sentence by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a case of a road rage death. He was convicted for causing the death of an elderly man on a Patiala street 18 years ago. The High Court on 06 Decmeber had suspended his sentence till January 2007 to enable him to appeal in the apex court. AFP PHOTO/ MANAN VATSYAYANA (Photo credit should read MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images)
Laxmi Ratan Shukla
Former India and Bengal cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla took the political plunge after retiring from the game. He joined the Trinamool Congress in 2016 and won from the Howrah Uttar constituency, and he has served as West Bengal’s minister for sports and youth services in the Mamata Banerjee government.
PUNE, INDIA - MAY 22: Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Laxmi Ratan Shukla plays a shot against Delhi Daredevils during the first qualifier on May 22, 2012 in Pune, India. Chasing 162 runs made by Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils lost by 18 runs. With this win Kolkata Knight riders have qualified for final while Delhi Daredevils will now play Winner of eliminator 1 played between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in eliminator 2 to decide the other finalist. (Photo by Vijayanand Gupta/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Deepa Malik
Deepa Malik, the first Indian to win a medal at the Paralympic Games, joined the BJP recently and may contest a Haryana seat.
NEW DELHI, INDIA - DECEMBER 30: Padma Shri awardee Rio Paralympics 2016 silver medalist Para-athlete Deepa Malik address the People NGO Smile Train as she unveils Wild at Heart at India International Center on December 30, 2017 in New Delhi, India. Wild at Heart is a photography book by 12 year old Ameya Kulkarni, the book will help raise funds to provide free cleft surgeries to children from underprivileged families across India, at India International Center. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times)
Chetan Chauhan
Former India cricketer Chetan Chauhan joined the ruling BJP after retiring from the game. Known for his successful opening partnership with Sunil Gavaskar, Chauhan has been elected as a member of the Lok Sabha from Almorah in Uttar Pradesh twice but also lost from the same seat on three occasions. He is now the minister for youth and sports in Uttar Pradesh.
NOIDA, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Chetan Chauhan (Minister for Youth and Sports, Uttar Pradesh) speaks during the launch of UP Yoddha, the Uttar Pradesh Pro Kabaddi League team, on September 27, 2018 in Noida, India. From November 2 to 8, the UP Yoddhas will play five matches against Tamil Thalaivas, Bengaluru Bulls, Bengal Warriors and Telugu Titans at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida. (Photo by Virendra Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Gautam Gambhir
After months of speculation, former India opener Gautam Gambhir finally joined the ruling BJP in March. Gambhir, a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad, retired from cricket in December.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Gautam Gambhir of India looks on during a India nets session at Trent Bridge on July 7, 2014 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Krishna Poonia
Krishna Poonia, the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games discus throw gold medallist, will contest the 2019 general election representing the Congress party from the Jaipur Rural constituency. The three-time Olympian is pitted against fellow Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. The minister of state for youth affairs and sports with independent charge is the incumbent from the seat.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Krishna Poonia of India competes in the Women's Discus Throw Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Jyotirmoyee Sikdar
Track and field star Jyotirmoyee Sikdar made a smooth transition into politics way back in 2004. Sikdar, who won gold in the 800m and 1,500m events at the 1998 Asian Games, ran on a Communist Party of India (Marxist) ticket and won the Krishnagar Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal by a whopping margin.
Jyotirmoyee Sikdar of India crosses the finish line to win the gold medal as China's Wang Qingfen and India's Sunita Rani finish second third respectively in the women's 1500 metres event at the Asian Games 1998 at Bangkok, Thailand on December 14, 1998.
Photo: V. Sudershan
Prasun Banerjee
Former India captain Prasun Banerjee jumped into politics in 2013, becoming the first professional footballer to become a member of Parliament. On a Trinamool Congress ticket, he contested from the Howrah constituency and won a bypoll, and was re-elected for a second term in 2014.
NEW DELHI, INDIA- MARCH 29: International footballer and Member of Parliament from Howrah Prasun Banerjee plays football in front of Gandhi Statue during the 'Mission XI Million: Taking Football Across India' organized by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to promote Mission XI Million Programme for taking football across India in the run up to FIFA U-17 Football World Cup to be hosted in October this year, at Parliament House, on March 29, 2017 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Naveen Jindal
Industrialist Naveen Jindal led the Indian shooting team that won silver at the South Asian Federation Games in 2004. An Asian Games representative, Jindal contested elections the same year, winning the Kurukshetra constituency in Haryana for the Congress and retaining it in 2009.
But soon after the coal allocation controversy broke out under the second Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Jindal lost the seat to the BJP’s Raj Kumar Saini in the 2014 general election.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Indian shooter, Naveen Jindal takes aim during the first round of three in the skeet shooting at the Sport Complex in Islamabad, 04 April 2004, during the 9th South Asian Federation (SAF) Games. Mohammad Shafique from Pakistan was leading the skeet shooting with a progressive score of 23, with the final being held tomorrow. AFP PHOTO/Rob ELLIOTT (Photo credit should read ROB ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images)
Pargat Singh
Former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh, an Arjuna and Padma Shree awardee, joined the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2012 but was suspended from it in 2016. The following year, he joined the Congress.
New Delhi, 28/11/2016 : Newly join Congress party former hockey player Pargat Singh, at AICC headquarters, in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty
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