Reward for Switching Sides? A “Gift” for Yusuf Pathan In Gujarat

The Gujarat government’s proposed land arrangement for Yusuf Pathan has brought renewed attention to the disposal of public property, with the former cricketer poised to benefit from a deal that has remained entangled in administrative and legal disputes since 2012.

BY PC Bureau

October 20: A decade-old dispute over municipal land in Vadodara is nearing resolution, with former India cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan poised to secure a roughly 1,000-square-metre plot beside his family residence under a proposed arrangement by the Gujarat government. The development comes months after Pathan and a group of TMC MPs broke with Mamata Banerjee’s party and aligned themselves with the NDA.

The proposed settlement would divide the plot into two portions: half would reportedly be allotted to Pathan without payment under a special policy for distinguished sportspersons, while the remaining half would be transferred at an institutional valuation estimated at around Rs 10 crore. The state’s revenue authorities and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation are expected to complete the formalities under the new administrative arrangement.

Pathan, who won the Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal in 2024 on a TMC ticket, has pursued the land since 2012. His original request was for a 99-year lease, with concerns over the security and privacy of his family cited as the principal reason. His brother, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, also resides in the family home with their parents and other family members.

The proposal, however, ran into objections over the disposal of public property. While local authorities had considered residential use of the adjoining plot, higher-level scrutiny raised questions about granting municipal land without a transparent bidding process. The property remained at the centre of a prolonged administrative and legal tussle.

The controversy acquired a sharper edge after Pathan entered Parliament. The BJP-controlled Vadodara Municipal Corporation subsequently issued a notice directing him to remove what it described as an encroachment on the land. Pathan challenged the action before the Gujarat High Court, setting off another round of litigation over the plot’s status and its proposed use.

During subsequent proceedings, the court questioned the occupation of municipal land in the absence of a completed allotment and clear financial settlement. With judicial scrutiny intensifying and the prospect of penalties looming, Pathan’s legal team unconditionally withdrew the pending appeals, opening the door to renewed negotiations with the administration.

🚨BREAKING : This is WASHING MACHINE 2.0 🤣🔥
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Understand the chronology.

> 2012 : Yusuf Pathan asks for a 978 sq m VMC plot in Vadodara on a 99-year lease, without any auction
> 2014 : Gujarat’s BJP govt rejects it
> 2024 : He becomes a TMC MP. VMC sends him an encroachment notice
> 2025 : Gujarat HC agrees with VMC and calls him an "encroacher" on govt land
> 2026 : He breaks away from Mamata’s TMC
> Aug 13 : Gujarat govt passes a resolution for the same plot
> 500 sq m : GIFTED for residential use
> 478 sq m : at 55% of the valuation

Think about it for a second.

> In the opposition : "Encroacher", notice, court case
> Against Mamata : Gift, discount, approval

The land didn’t change. The court verdict didn’t change. Only his politics changed.

This isn’t governance. It’s a reward scheme for anyone who hurts the opposition.

Join BJP, get a free plot. COOKED. ABSOLUTELY COOKED 🗿🔥

— The Rebel (@TheRebel_IN) October 20, 2026

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The latest arrangement seeks to resolve the dispute through an executive decision rather than another round of litigation. Officials are understood to be relying on provisions intended to promote sport and recognise the achievements of distinguished athletes. Municipal land, however, is ordinarily disposed of through auction, making the proposed concession particularly significant.

The timing is likely to attract political attention. Yusuf Pathan was elected as a Trinamool Congress candidate in 2024 but subsequently joined a group of around 20 TMC MPs who rebelled against Banerjee following this year’s West Bengal Assembly election results. The group merged with the little-known NCPI and aligned itself with the NDA in Parliament.

While the state administration’s stated rationale centres on Pathan’s contribution to Indian cricket, the movement on a dispute that has remained unresolved for more than a decade is likely to invite questions about the relationship between political realignments and administrative decisions. Whether the proposed concession withstands scrutiny over the treatment of public land will also remain an important consideration.

Pathan last represented India in an ODI and a T20 International in March 2012. He subsequently played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League between 2011 and 2017.