Sachin Tendulkar is a giant on the field. Bowlers target him and do all they can to take his priced wicket but he withstands the test much more than he falls. His opponents respect him when he steps into the crease - that's the kind of command he has on the cricket field. And that's his comfort zone.
However, the Little Master has decided to get out of his comfort zone and play a different ball game - political game. He is likely to begin his political innings by taking oath to the office today, and by doing so, he will be the first active sportsperson to become a member of parliament (MP).
The Congress party nominated cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday and the President of India Smt. Pratibha Patil has approved it. The President can nominate 12 members to the Upper House under Article 80 of the Indian constitution.
The Congress party also nominated 57-year-old Bollywood actress Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga to the Rajya Sabha. Rekha has won the national award for her role in "Umrao Jaan" and is a recipient of the Padma Shri. Anu Aga, took up social work after her retirement in 2004, is also a recipient of Padma Shri and is currently chairperson of Teach for India.
Reaction to Tendulkar's Nomination
The nomination of Tendulkar, who recently scored his hundredth international century, has been welcomed by both politicians and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad welcomed Tendulkar's nomination, saying that he would devote some time to Parliament.
"Currently seat number 100 in Rajya S is Ashok Ganguly fmr Chairman HLL. He just told me he'll move to a nearby seat and give @sachin_rt 100," tweeted Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien, referring to the hundredth international century Tendulkar scored recently.
BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof. Ratnakar Shetty said that Tendulkar deserves it for being a true ambassador for the country. He also said that the Board is happy that his contribution to the sports has been recognized.
However, many think that politics is not Sachin Tendulkar's game.
"I don't think Sachin Tendulkar should join politics. He is not fit for the role he is selected for. Government will take full advantage of his caliber for their benefit. He will suffer for the same as Amitabh Bachchan did when he joined Rajiv Gandhi," said Varsha Priyadarshini from Odisha.
"Politics is a dirty game and there is not even a single lawmaker that the people have unanimously praised for his or her good work. So, Sachin Tendulkar will surely spoil his clean image by joining politics. He should play cricket and coach Indian team after retirement," opined Joseph from Delhi.
People have poured in their feelings on micro blogging site twitter following the decision of Tendulkar. Hashtag #UnfollowSachin is trending in twitter, with angry fans campaigning to unfollow the Little Master on the micro blogging site.
"@Sachin_rt Please reconsider RS decision.. Indian society despises politicians right now n you'll get painted with same brush eventually.." tweeted Mudit Narain .
Mandeep P Karetha wrote on his twitter page, "@sachin_rt NO POLITICS PLZ SIR MASTER... U R GOD... PLZ STAY AWAY FRM THIS... LOVE YA FOREVER..."
" @PanditRamJoshi Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@sachin_rt I hope u use twitter and see how your popularity is going down. #UnfollowSachin. I request u to not associate with Sonia Gandhi," twitted Pandit Ram Joshi.
