The injured India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja copped a huge amount of criticism and trolling from fans on social media after pictures and videos of him campaigning for wife and BJP candidate Rivaba Jadeja went viral.
Earlier in the month, the Bhartiya Janta Party released the first list of candidates who will be contesting the Gujarat assembly elections in 2022, and it also included the name of Ravindra Jadeja’s wife, Rivaba, who will be contesting in the upcoming polls from the Jamnagar (North) constituency. She had joined the BJP in 2019 and got a ticket for the forthcoming election in the city.
On Friday, Jadeja was seen taking part in a roadshow organized ahead of the state Assembly elections to champion the name of his wife and the political party. Jadeja stood in an open jeep waving his hands and acknowledging the crowd of Jamnagar, his home city, while hundreds of BJP supporters rallied beside him on bikes, cars, and footsteps.
This – brazen and open campaigning of the India all-rounder, who is an active cricketer and centrally contracted with the BCCI – didn’t sit well with fans on social media who blasted the southpaw. Earlier, Rivaba was criticized for using Ravindra Jadeja’s image donning the Indian jersey on her campaign posters.
This is how netizens lambasted Ravindra Jadeja for openly campaigning for a political party:
Ideally, Jadeja should attract a heavy fine or even match ban for using that jersey on election posters but, not going to happen for obvious reasons. https://t.co/AAVGlQrskb
— ∆nkit🏏 (@CaughtAtGully) November 26, 2022
If he wants to campaign for his wife(come what may) then he should ask BCCI to release him from central contract and then he is free to do as he pleases.
Not that BCCI isn’t at fault here,them allowing a key player to be participating in election campaign when he should…
— Akash Kumar Jha (@Akashkumarjha14) November 25, 2022
Gujarat | Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja today campaigned for his wife & BJP candidate from Jamnagar North, Rivaba Jadeja, in Khambhalia, Jamnagar pic.twitter.com/z8iyQSnhEB
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2022
@BCCI remove @imjadeja from your central contract. We need cricketers, not actors like Jadeja who is faking his injury, just to campaign for his wife. #GujaratElections #GujaratAssemblyPolls #GujaratElections2022
— Dil Dil Argentina 🇦🇷 🇦🇷 🇦🇷 (@FIFA_For_Messi) November 26, 2022
Unfit for playing for India, Ravindra Jadeja attends 5-6 rallies to campaign for wife Rivaba in Gujarat Elections #INDvsBAN #RavindraJadeja #GujaratElections2022 #India https://t.co/MrUBTAQ3NH
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) November 26, 2022
Lost respect for @imjadeja chalo man lete he unki wife bjp candidate he to raily kr rahe hain but team india ki Jersey pehanke campaign for political party or election commission andha ho gya bjp ki bhakti me ye rules ke against nai he he bacho ka sahara lena etc..#Politics
— Imran Khan (@imran_786__) November 26, 2022
@BCCI @BCCIdomestic Why Indian National Cricket team Jersey is Used in Election Campaign?
— MD Rizwan Hossain (@MdRizwanHossai1) November 26, 2022
Lot of people had problem with kohli missing 3 test for the birth of his child but the same lot defending jadeja who missed an entire wc and set to miss another test series but instead of recovering he’s attending political rallies 🤔
— Shahnawaz🇵🇹🇧🇪 (@shahnawazz_18) November 26, 2022
@imjadeja Not ashamed?
— MONK (@TrueINDIAN369) November 26, 2022
Election commission of India
Where r u
Shame on u @imjadeja https://t.co/ETDmMslUQa— IAMNitesh (@TheJaat5911) November 26, 2022
Jadeja can campaign for her wife but why bring BCCI Jersey / sports in politics?
Blatant use of state machineries and now sporting organizations by #BJP in the campaign
Signs of desperation in Gujarat? https://t.co/hZNlnJSj2W
— Tushar Kasar (@TusharKasar) November 26, 2022
@imjadeja क्यों क्रिकेट का अपमान कर रहे हो@BCCI ने अब तक क्यों कार्यवाही नहीं की। https://t.co/brlIPirFZN
— मिले कदम – जुड़े वतन (@anees2003akhter) November 26, 2022
Shame on @imjadeja
— rahul yadav 🇮🇳 (@rk869102) November 26, 2022
Ravindra Jadeja set to miss Bangladesh ODIs; likely to miss Tests too
Ravindra Jadeja has been out due to a knee injury since the Asia Cup in Dubai. He underwent surgery, and later missed the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Now it has been learned that he will not recover in time for the 3 ODIs in Bangladesh, and is likely to miss the 2-Test series – which is part of the WTC – following the ODIs. Bengal all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed is named as Jadeja’s replacement for the ODI series. For the Tests, should Jadeja not be fit, Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar could be added in the squad.
