Madan Lal promises to bat for Congress

NEW DELHI: A member of Kapil Dev's World Cup winning team, all-rounder Madan Lal has promised to both bat and bowl all over again to taste success in his debut electoral battle from Himachal's Hamirpur parliamentary constituency as the Congress candidate.
Formally joining Congress on Saturday, the former cricketer said instead of dishing out soundbytes to the media he would stay focused on the challenge of winning the election.
"I have always talked less and worked more," he said. "The media interviews will have to wait until the elections are over."
Elections are perhaps the time to remind people of their roots. Madan Lal, always part of Delhi's cricket scene, has looked back and discovered his family origins in Himachal Pradesh.
Party managers also made it a point to recall the family in Himachal and Madan Lal's relations there. "Madan Lal belongs to Himachal Pradesh; we hope he will be as consistent in politics as he was in cricket," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.
Union minister Anand Sharma, himself a politician from Himachal, said the BJP would find it difficult to contain the former all-rounder. "He will bat and bowl, and make the BJP field," he said.
In his response, Madan Lal said that he could not think of a better platform than Congress. "I have been thinking of being in the public life and the opportunity has finally come," he said.
Madan Lal said he had been inspired by Sonia Gandhi's renunciation of prime ministership. Promising to put up a good fight, he said, "I will play total cricket."