Gujarat government approves gifted land deal for former cricketer Yusuf Pathan

The Gujarat state government has authorized a scheme to allocate a contested 978 sqm Vadodara Municipal Corporation plot in the Tandalja neighbourhood to former cricketer and ex-TMC MP Yusuf Pathan. Under the plan, 500 sqm will be gifted for residential purposes, while the remaining 478 sqm will be sold at 55% of the Rs 20.53 crore valuation, a 45% concession. Municipal commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu confirmed that the civic body has received the approval, but the allocation must still pass through the VMC standing committee and general board.

The move follows Pathan's departure from Mamata Banerjee's party and his appointment as a national vice-president of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India after the 2026 West Bengal elections. Earlier legal battles over the same plot, including a high-court rejection of his claim, were resolved when Pathan withdrew his appeal on Aug 31.