Kolkatta:Seven months after his more than 20 years' reign at the helm of Indian Cricket came to a sudden death, Jagmohan Dalmiya's throne at Cricket Association of Bengal seems to be slipping away with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee asking him not to contest this year's election.

Talking to the media at the State Secretariat here today, Mr Bhattacharjee said, '' I have talked to Sports minister Subhas Chakraborty. I have asked him to convey my wish to Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya so that he does not contest the election this time.'' ''Mr Chakraborty will convey the message to him tomorrow. At the same time I expect Sourav Ganguly to take more responsibility in the matters of Bengal cricket,'' he added.

This comes a day after City Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee announcing his candidature for the Cricket Association of Bengal's top post occupied by the former BCCI president for 14 years.

Mr Dalmiya could not be contacted for a reaction.

''For the last few days, I am being repeatedly asked whether I will contest. After holding discussions with a majority of the 121 affiliate units of CAB, I have decided to contest the CAB elections,'' Mukherjee said at crowded press conference last evening.

Interestingly, the Left Front government in the state had thrown in its weight behind Mukherjee for sometime now, as State Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya had earlier demanded that Mr Dalmiya step down as CAB president because he failed to get justice for Ganguly.

Mukherjee expressed confidence about his victory, saying he decided to jump into the fray after he was convinced that a majority of CAB affiliates wanted a change.

Incidentally, Mukherjee's predecessor D C Bajpai also contested against Mr Dalmiya last year but could get only 13 votes. Last evening when asked if Mr Mukherjee had the Chief Minister’s blessings he had said, '' It's not good to drop names. The Chief Minister will be the best person to reply to that.'' And in less than 24 hours the man himself made it clear on whose corner he would be standing when the bout, if it at all, began.

The elections for the CAB office-bearers would take place during AGM scheduled for the last week of July.