Former England cricketer Monty Panesar to stand for election

NEW DELHI: Former England cricketer Monty Panesar is set to enter the political arena, announced George Galloway, leader of the fringe Workers Party of Britain, on Tuesday. Galloway, known for his left-wing stance, revealed that Panesar is among the 200 candidates the party is fielding for the upcoming UK general election.Panesar, a left-arm spinner, gained fame during his cricketing career, representing England in 50 Tests and securing 167 wickets between 2006 and 2013. Born Mudhsuden Singh Panesar in Luton, north of London, to Sikh immigrant parents from the Indian Punjab, he became a beloved figure among cricket fans, often recognized for his distinctive presence on the field wearing a black patka.Panesar will contest in the Ealing Southall constituency in west London during the election, anticipated to take place later this year. To secure victory, he will need to overcome a significant challenge, aiming to surpass the 16,084 majority set by Virendra Sharma of the main opposition Labour party in the previous national poll held in 2019.Galloway told LBC radio that Panesar "will be our candidate in Southall", which is a majority Sikh area."Monty, of course, was a great left-arm spinner so we could do with him," he added.Galloway, a former Labour lawmaker, is hoping to tap into what he sees as disaffection with not only the Conservative government but the Labour opposition under Keir Starmer.Starmer is widely expected to win the election, but Galloway has condemned him for his stance on Israel's military action against Hamas in Gaza and is hoping to exploit Labour divisions on the issue.At Galloway's own election, the Labour candidate withdrew after touting a conspiracy theory that Israel allowed Hamas to carry out its deadly attack on October 7 last year.Galloway said voters were rejecting the "Tweedledee, Tweedledum politics" of the Tories and Labour, as well as "culture war" issues over "race and gender, wokery and greenery and quackery"."We stand up for the working people. Our country is falling apart at the seams.... Not since 1941 have we been in such trouble," he added."And there's no Mr Churchill to step into the breach."(With AFP inputs)