Ranbir elected BCCI chief
Sharad Pawar cries foul
Subhrangshu Gupta
Kolkata, September 29
After a day-long drama, the BCCI AGM was ultimately held around after 5 p.m. to elect the BCCI board and the president. Around 7 p.m., Dalmiya’s nominee, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, BCCI vice-president, was elected by casting of Dalmiya who was presiding since both Mahendra and Pawar obtained 15 votes each.
The election was conducted on the total 29 votes out of 31 eligible as voters. But two of them, one from Maharashtra and another from Rajasthan were rejected following claimants of both as true representatives of the state cricket control boards.
The NCP supremo, Mr Sharad Pawar, said his defeat in the election was ensured through unfair means, but ruled out going to the court against the outcome. Speaking to mediapersons, he said one of their genuine votes “was deliberately negated.”
The election ends the on-going power struggle in the BCCI between Jagmohan Dalmiya and his adversaries: between the cricket management baron and the political heavy weight: between the two Cricket Control Boards in Punjab and Haryana.
Pawar had with his side Punjab’s I.S. Bindra, the former BCCI chief and Raj Singh Dungarpur, the two stalwarts in the anti-Dalmiya group.
Interestingly enough, Dalmiya himself had chaired today’s AGM and conducted the elections following the sudden stay order issued by the Chennai High Court on the former Supreme Court Judge S. Mohan’s conducting the elections.
The Chennai lower court today simultaneously issued another stay order today on Dalmiya’s appointment in the BCCI as Patron-in-Chief following a writ petition filed by one of his adversaries.
Yesterday, there were late night hectic electioneering activities by both the groups and claims and counter-claims on the outcome of the elections. At one stage, there was an attempt to avoid election. But it did not materialise.
Today’s morning, all the members were present at Taj Bengal hotel, the venue of the AGM and Justice Mohan, the former judge of the Supreme Court to oversee the election as per the court’s order.
But Dalmiya soon entered the meeting room with a copy of the fax message of the Chennai High Court, making a stay order on Mohan’s presiding over the meeting and conducting the election.
Hence, the AGM was postponed till 2 p.m. for the original document of the court’s order to come. But at 2 p.m. when the meeting was re-convened, the members were informed that the court’s order was yet to reach and accordingly, the meeting was once again deferred till 4 p.m.
Sharad Pawar cries foul
Subhrangshu Gupta
Kolkata, September 29
After a day-long drama, the BCCI AGM was ultimately held around after 5 p.m. to elect the BCCI board and the president. Around 7 p.m., Dalmiya’s nominee, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, BCCI vice-president, was elected by casting of Dalmiya who was presiding since both Mahendra and Pawar obtained 15 votes each.
The election was conducted on the total 29 votes out of 31 eligible as voters. But two of them, one from Maharashtra and another from Rajasthan were rejected following claimants of both as true representatives of the state cricket control boards.
The NCP supremo, Mr Sharad Pawar, said his defeat in the election was ensured through unfair means, but ruled out going to the court against the outcome. Speaking to mediapersons, he said one of their genuine votes “was deliberately negated.”
The election ends the on-going power struggle in the BCCI between Jagmohan Dalmiya and his adversaries: between the cricket management baron and the political heavy weight: between the two Cricket Control Boards in Punjab and Haryana.
Pawar had with his side Punjab’s I.S. Bindra, the former BCCI chief and Raj Singh Dungarpur, the two stalwarts in the anti-Dalmiya group.
Interestingly enough, Dalmiya himself had chaired today’s AGM and conducted the elections following the sudden stay order issued by the Chennai High Court on the former Supreme Court Judge S. Mohan’s conducting the elections.
The Chennai lower court today simultaneously issued another stay order today on Dalmiya’s appointment in the BCCI as Patron-in-Chief following a writ petition filed by one of his adversaries.
Yesterday, there were late night hectic electioneering activities by both the groups and claims and counter-claims on the outcome of the elections. At one stage, there was an attempt to avoid election. But it did not materialise.
Today’s morning, all the members were present at Taj Bengal hotel, the venue of the AGM and Justice Mohan, the former judge of the Supreme Court to oversee the election as per the court’s order.
But Dalmiya soon entered the meeting room with a copy of the fax message of the Chennai High Court, making a stay order on Mohan’s presiding over the meeting and conducting the election.
Hence, the AGM was postponed till 2 p.m. for the original document of the court’s order to come. But at 2 p.m. when the meeting was re-convened, the members were informed that the court’s order was yet to reach and accordingly, the meeting was once again deferred till 4 p.m.