New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The prospect of Narinder Batra'selection as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chiefbrightened today after the General Body's interpretation of anarticle of its constitution, which will allow him to contestfor the top job post.
The highest decision making body of the IOA, in itsspecial meeting, unanimously decided to allow office bearersand members of the Executive Council elected in 2012 and 2014to contest for the post of president and secretary general inthe December 14 polls.
The Special GBM was called to discuss and interpretArticle XI (1) (c) of the IOA Constitution which sates that:"... it shall be a mandatory requirement for elections to theposts of President and Secretary General that only thosemembers, who had held the office and were members in thepreceding Executive Council of the IOA, shall be eligible tocontest the elections.""The General House today passed a resolution to theeffect that the office bearers and members of the ExecutiveCouncil elected in 2012 and 2014 will be eligible to contestfor the post of president and secretary," IOA vice-presidentTarlochan Singh said after the meeting.
The meeting was a brief affair and lasted just over halfan hour. Incumbent president N Ramachandran, who is notseeking re-election this time, did not attend the meeting andhence senior vice-president Virendra Nanavati presided it.
The Returning Officer of the IOA election, S K Mendirattahas already ruled that office bearers and members of theExecutive Council elected in 2012 and 2014 can contest for thepost of president and secretary general, and today's decisionat the SGM has given a seal of legitimacy to Batra'scandidature for the top post.
IOA Treasurer Anil Khanna and vice-president BirendraPrasad Baishya have also filed nomination papers for the postof president.
Khanna, a former president of All India TennisAssociation, had seconded Batra's nomination for the post ofpresident but decided at the last minute to also jump into thefray himself.
Khanna's last minute filing of nomination papers afterseconding a candidate for the same post could make himineligible to stand for the presidency, said a senior IOAExecutive Council member on the condition of anonymity.
"The final call (on Khanna's eligibility for thepresident's post) will have to be taken by the ReturningOfficer and the Election Commission made up of retiredJustices. The scrutiny of the nominations will be donetomorrow and we will decide whether (Khanna) is eligible ornot," the senior official told PTI.
Baishya, who filed nomination papers for the post ofpresident barely minutes before the deadline yesterday, couldbe the back-up candidate for Batra and he may withdraw lateron.
In other decisions, the faction of the Haryana OlympicAssociation led by P V Rathi was given the recognition. Thedecision of the IOA Executive Council on November 9 in Chennaito recognise Boxing Federation of India as the sole NSF wasalso ratified by the General Body.
Tainted official Lalit Bhanot, whose election as IOASecretary General in December 2012 was not recognised by theInternational Olympic Committee, reached the venue after themeeting was over. He was seen having discussions with theofficials who attended the meeting. PTI PDS CMCM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.