Kolkata, Oct 17 (IANS): Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday advised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to offer the chair of brand ambassador of the state to former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly replacing Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan.

Adhikari's advice on this count comes just within an hour after the Chief Minister on Monday lambasted Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the "unceremonious" exit of Ganguly as its President, saying that she would talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi so that Ganguly can contest for the chairmanship of International Cricket Council (ICC) as the Indian representative.

"Mamata Banerjee should first remove Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador of the state. There is no reason for Khan to be in the chair. Instead, that chair should be offered to Sourav Ganguly. The Chief Minister should first do that instead of doing unnecessary politics on each and every issue," the Leader of the Opposition told media persons on Monday.

He said that Mamata Banerjee had a late realisation that Sourav Ganguly is the pride of West Bengal. "Had she realised it before, she would have made him the brand ambassador of West Bengal much before instead of Shah Rukh Khan," Adhikari said.

However, he clearly said that his comments on making Ganguly the state's ambassador had no links with the earlier connection of Ganguly as the first captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where Shah Rukh Khan is a principal stakeholder. However, Ganguly was later removed as the captain of KKR which erupted whispers of a subtle tiff between Ganguly and Khan.

Meanwhile, Ganguly himself has already announced that he will be contesting for the post of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President which is scheduled on October 31. On the same day, there will be the annual general meeting of CAB.